New Delhi:
He was threatened earlier as well by the same men who brutally thrashed him late on Sunday night for objecting to them drinking alcohol, C Vikram Singh, a musician and music teacher from Manipur, told his son in the taxi while they were on the way to a Delhi hospital.
Vikram Singh, who was allegedly assaulted by a group of eight people outside his residence in southeast Delhi’s Kilokari after he objected to noise and commotion near his home, died during treatment at the Holy Family Hospital. He was 54.
According to the victim’s wife, Joshna Chongtham, a simple request to lower the volume escalated into fatal violence. Singh was chased back up to his doorstep and brutally beaten with fists and heavy blows by a mob of eight men before they fled.
“On the way to the hospital in the taxi, my father told me that the men who had beaten him up had come from the dhaba located right below, and that some of them had previously threatened him whenever he had stopped them from drinking alcohol,” the victim’s son, Yaifaba, said in his police complaint.
“My father then lost consciousness while in the taxi; he was admitted to the hospital but died during treatment. My father died as a result of the assault by these men; please take appropriate legal action against all of them,” the victim’s son said, adding that he saw their faces while they were running away and would be able to recognise them if he saw them again.
Accused seen leaving Vikram Singh’s house after the violent assault
The FIR says Singh’s wife later identified the accused as men who had earlier threatened her husband.
CCTV footage accessed by police shows the alleged attackers leaving the building after the assault.
“Vikram Singh had an argument with some people in his lane over a lot of noise coming. After the argument, there was a physical altercation between them, in which he suffered injuries. His family took him to the hospital, where he died,” South East Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vineet Kumar said.
The victim’s family says it is not seeking revenge but justice.
“We do not seek revenge. We want justice. He had a name, a family and a life that mattered. We ask only that his memory be respected, our grief be given dignity and justice be done,” Chongtham’s wife said, expressing gratitude for the support she had received from well-wishers following the incident.
Seven people have been arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with the death of the Manipur-origin musician. A juvenile has also been detained in the case.
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has written a formal letter to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and expressed deep concern over the incident. He has sought the Delhi government’s intervention to ensure a fair and time-bound investigation.
Demanding an independent probe, the Manipur Chief Minister also emphasised the safety of the North Eastern community residing in Delhi, urging the implementation of protective measures.
Vikram Singh was lead guitarist of legendary Manipur rock band Phoenix in the early 1980s and was regarded as one of the pioneers of the state’s rock music scene. He began his career with a band named Ultra Vires before joining Phoenix, and later a local band Eastern Dark.
After moving to Delhi around 2004, he continued to work as a musician and music teacher, conducting classes and workshops. His musical repertoire spanned Hindustani music, rock and roll and jazz, among other genres.
He also worked with singer Mame Khan for around a decade and was associated with Coke Studio.
