Manipuri Music Teacher Beaten to Death in South Delhi After Objecting to Noise Outside Home; 8 Arrested

New Delhi: A 54-55-year-old Manipuri musician and music teacher, Chongtham Vikram Singh, was beaten to death late on Sunday night outside his residence in Kilokari village, southeast Delhi, after he objected to loud noise and commotion created by a group of men, police said. He succumbed to his injuries early Monday morning at Holy Family Hospital in Okhla.

Singh, who belonged to the Meitei community and hailed from Imphal West in Manipur, had been living in a third-floor flat in Kilokari (near Ashram) with his wife Joshna and their 20-year-old son Yaiphaba, a law student. He had worked as a private music teacher in Delhi for around 17 years and also ran a music school. He previously played lead guitar with Manipuri bands including Phoenix and Eastern Dark. He was the son of renowned Manipuri classical and modern singer Chongtham Ongbi Kamala Devi and a cousin of Lakshmipriya Devi, director of India’s first BAFTA-winning film Boong.

According to police and family accounts, around 11:30 pm on Sunday, Singh went downstairs from his flat, either to dispose of garbage or after hearing disturbance and asked a group of men, mostly dhaba workers and delivery executives from nearby eateries, to stop shouting and creating a nuisance. Some reports stated the group was allegedly drinking. An argument followed. Singh was then chased back into the building and assaulted with punches and kicks in the stair lobby and corridor on the way to his third-floor apartment.

His son Yaiphaba heard him shouting to open the door. He found his father injured and in a semi-conscious state with his T-shirt ripped. Yaiphaba rushed him to Holy Family Hospital. Doctors recorded that his blood pressure had dropped critically. He died of haemorrhagic shock caused by blunt force trauma during treatment, around 6:30–7 am on Monday. A PCR call about the assault reached Sunlight Colony police station at 1:38 am.

Delhi Police arrested seven men and apprehended a 15-year-old boy. The accused have been identified as Bharat Kumar (19), Pramod (26), Ramzan Khan (22), Deepanshu (21), Mohan Vishwakarma (32), Vijay (36) and Mannu (26). Police said they worked at dhabas, food stalls and in food delivery/packaging. A case has been registered under Sections 103(2) (murder) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Some reports also referred to provisions related to mob lynching. CCTV footage from the building reportedly shows an injured Singh being carried down the stairs and the group leaving the premises.

Southeast Delhi DCP Vineet Kumar said senior officers met the family and members of the Manipuri community and assured prompt and lawful action. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju later stated that all eight accused had been arrested and that police had indicated a chargesheet would be filed within two weeks. Singh’s body was to be taken to Manipur.

The killing also drew condemnation from the North East Students Society Delhi University (NESSDU), which sought a prompt and impartial probe.

Investigation into the exact sequence of events is continuing. Police have not publicly confirmed a communal or targeted motive beyond the noise dispute as described in official statements so far.