India's Supreme Court rejected a bid for nationwide hate crime laws targeting Northeastern students, citing legislative authority and national unity concerns.

The Supreme Court of India dismissed a public interest litigation seeking nationwide measures to combat racial violence against Northeastern students, including mandatory bias reporting in FIRs and specialized hate crime laws. The court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, called the December 2025 killing of 24-year-old Anjel Chakma in Dehradun "unfortunate" but declined to issue binding guidelines, citing concerns over regional divisions and the legislature’s role in enacting such laws. The petition, filed by lawyer Anoop Prakash Awasthi, highlighted systemic failures and repeated incidents of discrimination, including Chakma’s final words, “We are not Chinese… We are Indians.” While affirming the need to address hate crimes firmly, the court directed the petitioner to approach the Attorney General, emphasizing that judicial intervention should not undermine national unity.