Manipur musician killed in Delhi; eight held for mob lynching

A musician from Manipur, Chongtham Vikram Singh, living in Delhi’s Ashram area, died on Monday of injuries suffered in an alleged assault by a group on Sunday night. The Delhi Police, which registered an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for mob lynching, arrested seven men and detained a 15-year-old boy in connection with the case.

The accused packaged and delivered food from nearby dhabas and are aged between 15 and 36, police said. In his complaint to the police, Yaiphaba, the victim’s son, said his father had told him on the way to the hospital that people from a nearby dhaba had attacked him.

Some of them had previously threatened Singh after he complained of excessive noise, the complaint said. Singh, a guitarist and musician from Imphal, has been part of rock bands but has not been working for the past few years.

He has been performing for years and was also a music teacher. Former Manipur Chief Minister and BJP leader N. Biren Singh said he was “deeply saddened” and “deeply concerned by the incident”. “With evidence now emerging in connection with the incident, I urge the Delhi Police to take swift and appropriate action, thoroughly investigate the matter, and ensure that justice is delivered at the earliest,” he said.

The Delhi Police registered an FIR against unknown persons under Sections 103(2) (involves murder on the grounds of race, caste or community by a group of five or more persons) and 3(5) (crimes committed by a group with common intent) of BNS.

Delhi Police said that “the circumstances leading to his assault and death are being ascertained and necessary legal action is being taken as per law”. Police have identified the arrested as Bharat Kumar, Pramod, Ramzan Khan, Deepanshu, Mohan Vishwakarma, Vijay, and Mannu.

Around 11.30 p.m. on Sunday, Yaiphaba and his mother were at home when they heard loud noises and Singh screaming. Yaiphaba said that when he opened the door, he found four to five people assaulting his father, “kicking and punching him”.

When he raised an alarm and tried to stop them, the attackers fled. Yaiphaba said he had seen the faces of some attackers. Yaiphaba and his mother took Singh to a private hospital in a taxi, where he died on Monday morning.

His family members said the body was taken to the All Institute of Medical Sciences for a post-mortem. The North East Media Forum “strongly” condemned the killing and demanded the “strictest possible action against all those responsible for the assault and death”.

It said that while the motive is being investigated, “any possibility of racial or identity-based targeting must be thoroughly examined”. It said that it was deeply concerned about the “growing reports and incidents of targeted violence, intimidation, and discrimination against people from the Northeast, particularly where racial prejudice or discriminatory attitudes may be involved”.

It urged the Delhi Police to ensure that people from the Northeast “live and work with dignity and without fear” in the city.