‘Always kind, never argued’: Colleagues on Manipur musician killed in Delhi

Chongtham Vikram Singh, a pioneering guitarist from Manipur who helped shape the state’s early rock scene, was found dead on Monday after being assaulted in the Delhi neighbourhood of Kilokari. The 54‑year‑old was attacked when he objected to a group making noise outside his residence, and his death has sparked calls for a thorough investigation by senior police officials.

Singh is survived by his wife, Joshna, also 54, and their 20‑year‑old son, Yaiphaba, a law student. On Tuesday, fellow musicians, family members and supporters gathered for a candlelight vigil at the historic Kangla Fort in Imphal, demanding justice. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh wrote to Delhi’s Rekha Gupta, urging a fair probe under senior police supervision and requesting heightened security for Delhi localities with significant northeastern populations.

Born into a family steeped in music—his mother, Chongtham Kamala, is celebrated as the “Lata Mangeshkar of Manipur”—Singh began his career as the lead guitarist of Ultra Vires in the late 1980s before studying classical guitar at Kolkata’s Trinity School of Music. He later performed with bands such as Phoenix (later Phynyx) and Eastern Dark, and moved to Delhi two decades ago to teach electric guitar, mentoring artists like Sachidananda Angom. Colleagues describe him as kind, helpful and never argumentative, underscoring the cultural loss felt across the Manipuri and broader Indian music communities.