Dehradun, Dec. 30 -- Amid mounting outrage over the killing of a 24-year-old Tripura student in Dehradun in an alleged racial attack, the state police on Monday said that their probe so far has found no evidence to link the incident with racism, an officer familiar with the matter said. The development came a day after the victim's body was brought home to Agartala for last rites as protests demanding justice for the deceased continued to rock different parts of the city. Anjel Chakma, a resident of Agartala who was pursuing MBA at a private university in Uttarakhand, was attacked with a knife in Dehradun allegedly after he objected to racial slurs hurled at him and his brother Michael on December 9, police said. Anjel sustained grievous injuries and was taken to a local hospital where he died on December 26. An FIR in the matter was registered at Selaqui police station on December 12. Police said the 24-year-old allegedly received blows to his head and back with a sharp object and a "kadaa" (bracelet) following a quarrel with five-six people at a canteen. Selaqui police station in-charge PD Bhatt said allegations suggesting that racial slurs were used against the victim before his murder can't be confirmed at this stage. "We have found no evidence so far to link the incident with racism. There is no basis for such allegations," he said. "Victim's autopsy was carried out on December 26, however, iots report is awaited," he said. Suraj Khwas (22), who was from Manipur, Avinash Negi (25), Sumit (25) and two juveniles have been apprehended for the incident, while another accused has likely fled to his hometown in Nepal, said an officer. A reward has been announced to facilitate his arrest, he said. "A team has already been dispatched to arrest him," he added. Meanwhile, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami spoke over the phone with Tarun Prasad Chakma, father of Angel, and expressed deep sorrow over the incident, and assured him that the state government will ensure strict punishment for all those involved in the crime. Dhami said that Uttarakhand has never had such an atmosphere, as students from across the country and abroad come to the state to pursue education. "The government will take stringent action in such cases," Dhami said. The chief minister further said that following the incident, he has spoken with Tripura chief minister Manik Saha, Union home minister Amit Shah, and defence minister Rajnath Singh. He reiterated that the state government stands firmly with the victim's family and assured that he would also speak with the Tripura chief minister regarding assistance to the family. The Uttarakhand government, he added, will extend all possible help to the bereaved family. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called the student's murder a "horrific hate crime", as he accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "normalising" hate. In a post on X, Gandhi said hate does not appear overnight. "What happened to Anjel Chakma and his brother Michael in Dehradun is a horrific hate crime," he said. "My thoughts are with the Chakma family and the people of Tripura and Northeast. We are proud to call you our fellow Indian brothers and sisters," Gandhi added. On Sunday, members of the Tipra Indigenous Students Federation (TISF), the student wing of Tipra Motha Party, held a candle march at Astabal Maidan in Agartala on Sunday, demanding justice for Angel Chakma. TISF President Sajra Debbarma, on Saturday, condemned the murder and urged the Centre to take stringent action against the accused. "What's happening to the Northeast is nothing new. When we go outside the Northeast, we are taunted. The death of Angel Chakma today--this isn't just Angel Chakma's death; this is the death of all the people of the Northeast. Even before, in Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi, Northeast, people were being humiliated. I want to tell the Central Government directly: if you cannot give respect, dignity, and love to the people of the Northeast, then give us a separate country; we will take care of ourselves. This is a very serious matter," the TISF President Debbarma said....