Guwahati: A 22-year-old postgraduate student from Assam was allegedly assaulted late at night inside a central university hostel in Madhya Pradesh, triggering renewed concerns over the safety of students from the Northeast and allegations of racial discrimination on campuses outside the region. The victim, Hirok Jyoti Das, a postgraduate student of Economics at the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), Amarkantak, was attacked inside a boys’ hostel in the early hours of January 13. Das, an NCC cadet from Tezpur, said a group of fellow students forcibly entered his room around 3–4 am and questioned his identity and place of origin.
According to Das and his friends, the assailants allegedly asked, “Kaha se ho?” and, upon learning that he was from Assam, launched an unprovoked assault. During the attack, Das reportedly heard threats such as, “You’ve come here, you’ll die here.” He sustained serious injuries, including a fractured nasal bone, facial trauma, blood clots in his eyes, and injuries to his lips and temples. He was initially treated locally and later shifted to a hospital in Gaurela Pendra Marwahi district of neighbouring Chhattisgarh due to the severity of his condition.
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An FIR has been registered at Anuppur district against five accused students — Anurag Pandey, Jatin Singh, Rajnish Tripathi, Vishal Yadav and Utkarsh Singh — under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, obscene acts and common intention. Police said investigations are ongoing to determine whether racial slurs were used and whether alcohol was involved. The medico-legal report is awaited. University authorities, citing CCTV footage and preliminary findings, expelled the accused students following a disciplinary committee meeting and submitted their report to the police. No arrests have been reported so far.
The incident has sparked protests and condemnation across Assam and other Northeastern states, with student bodies and civil society groups demanding immediate arrests, strict punishment, and stronger safety mechanisms for students studying outside the region. The assault has drawn parallels with the December 2025 killing of Anjel Chakma, a student from Tripura in Dehradun, underscoring persistent concerns over discrimination and violence against Northeastern students.
