Manipuri Musician Beaten to Death in Delhi After Objecting to Noise Outside His Residence; Seven Arrested

New Delhi: A 54-year-old Manipuri musician and music teacher was beaten to death late Sunday night in southeast Delhi’s Kilokari village after he objected to a group of men creating a ruckus and consuming alcohol outside his apartment building.

The victim, Chongtham Vikram Singh, was a well-known figure in the music community and a pioneer of Manipur’s rock music scene, having served as the lead guitarist for the legendary band Phoenix in the early 1980s. In recent years, he had been living in Delhi, working as a private music teacher and residing with his wife and son.

According to Delhi Police and local accounts, the incident occurred around 11.30 pm on Sunday. Singh had stepped out of his third-floor flat—initial accounts noted he went down to dispose of garbage—when he encountered a group of young men shouting, drinking, and causing a disturbance near the building. Most of the individuals in the group worked as delivery executives or staff at nearby food kiosks and dhabas.

When Singh politely requested them to keep the noise down, an argument quickly escalated. Investigators stated that the confrontation turned physical when the group attacked him, raining blows and punches. Though Singh attempted to flee back towards his residence, the assailants chased him up to the third-floor corridor, severely overpowering him before fleeing the scene.

Singh's 20-year-old son, Yaiphaba, rushed him to the Holy Family Hospital in Okhla. However, Singh succumbed to his internal injuries early Monday morning. According to hospital reports, the cause of death was determined to be haemorrhagic shock resulting from severe blunt force trauma.

The Sunlight Colony police station registered an FIR upon receiving a PCR call regarding the assault. Utilizing CCTV footage, technical surveillance, and local intelligence, law enforcement moved swiftly to crack the case. Southeast Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Vineet Kumar confirmed that police have arrested seven suspects—identified as Bharat Kumar, Pramod, Ramzan Khan, Vijay, Deepanshu, Mohan Vishwakarma, and Mannu—ranging in age from 19 to 36, alongside apprehending a 15-year-old juvenile.

Police registered a case under sections 103(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Section 103(2) pertains to murder committed by a group of five or more persons acting in concert on specified grounds, including race, caste or community, sex, place of birth, language or personal belief, while Section 3(5) deals with acts committed by several persons in furtherance of a common intention.

The brutal killing has sent shockwaves through the music fraternity and community networks, sparking widespread condemnation. The killing also drew condemnation from the North East Students Society Delhi University (NESSDU), which sought a prompt and impartial probe.

Tributes poured in from fellow musicians and leaders. Vivek Sharma, lead vocalist of the band Phoenix, remembered Singh as a humble, egoless soul and an irreplaceable pillar of their musical journey. Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh also expressed deep grief over the tragedy, writing to urge the Delhi Police to ensure swift accountability for a man whose life contributions left an indelible mark on Manipur's cultural landscape.