Assam Student Brutally Assaulted at MP University, Five Expelled As Racial Probe On

Guwahati: At a time when we are constantly fighting the evils of racism, a disturbing incident at the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, has raised serious questions on racial tolerance and student safety.

Hiros Jyoti Das, a 22-year-old postgraduate student hailing from Assam at the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), was brutally attacked by a group of fellow students while hurling racial slurs against him.

Following the shocking incident, five students faced expulsion and criminal charges for allegedly assaulting the 22-year-old Assamese student. Hiros Jyoti Das, who is currently pursuing an MA in economics, had suffered severe injuries, including a fractured nose, during the early morning attack. The act has raised fears of a racial motive.

According to a social media video widely circulated on the internet, victim Hiros Jyoti Das narrated his ordeal, while the assault marks were clearly visible on his face and body. As per Das, the vicious assault began early in the morning at his hostel room at the GGBH hostel in Anuppur district.

He alleged that at least five to six people, reportedly intoxicated, had broken into his room and started asking him about his identity and origin. When the attackers came to know that Das hailed from Assam, they allegedly threatened him, saying, “You’ve come here, and you’ll die here only,” before beating him on the face and body.

According to his medical reports, Das had sustained multiple injuries on the face and body, including a fractured nose, split lips, and blood clots in his eyes, leaving him unable to eat ahead of exams starting 16 January.

Expressing terror, he said he fears if his plight will be the same as the recent fatal stabbing of Tripura student Anjel Chakma in Dehradun on 9 December 2025, who succumbed to injuries on Christmas Day after racial slurs turned violent.

He lamented, saying, “I am the lone son of my family… they wanted to kill me.”

Meanwhile, the authorities at the university, prompted by student protests and a gherao of the administrative building, reviewed CCTV footage and expelled five local students from Anuppur: Anurag Pandey, Jatin Singh, Rajneesh Tiwari (or Rajnish Tripathi), Vishal Yadav, and Utkarsh Singh.

The FIR, filed shortly after the incident by Anuppur Sub-Divisional Police Officer Naveen Tiwari, invokes Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 115(2) for voluntarily causing hurt, 296 for obscene acts and words, 351(3) for criminal intimidation, and 3(5) for common intention.

However, exams for Das have been rescheduled for him to recover from his injuries, while the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) submitted a memorandum to police demanding stringent measures. The Northeast student groups have launched protests nationwide, urging a dedicated law against racial hate crimes amid recurring discrimination.

An investigation is currently ongoing by the police, and stringent measures are being taken by the university to ensure that racial attacks are not repeated and the situation remains under control.

Also Read: CDFI Demands Fast-Track Trial and Anti-Racial Violence Law After Northeast Student's Death in Dehradun