NEW DELHI: It began with a plea for silence. It ended with a musician fighting for his life — and a family mourning a death they say should never have happened.“I took my father to the emergency room, where the doctor told us that his chances of survival were slim. Later, the doctor told us that he had died,” said Yaiphaba, son of 54-year-old Manipuri musician C Vikram Singh, who died after he was allegedly assaulted by a group of men outside his home in southeast Delhi’s Kilokari village in the early hours of Monday.According to Yaiphaba, a group of people were consuming liquor and making noise outside their apartment. When his father went downstairs to ask them to quieten down, the situation allegedly turned violent.“A group of people were drinking alcohol and making a lot of noise. My father went downstairs and asked them not to make noise because we were being disturbed. They beat him up,” news agency PTI quoted Yaiphaba as saying.He said that when the family opened the door, they saw Singh shirtless and being assaulted.“When we opened the door of our third floor flat, we saw that my father was shirtless and being beaten. Those people ran away,” he said.Singh was rushed to Holy Family Hospital by his son, where he later succumbed to his injuries.His death has left his family struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss.Singh’s wife, Joshna Chongtham, described him as much more than a musician—a husband, father, son, brother and a deeply loved member of the family.“I am still struggling to come to terms with the loss of my husband, Vikram Chongtham Vikram. He was my husband, my child’s father, a son and a brother, a musician, and a person deeply loved by my family, friends and relatives,” Joshna told news agency ANI.Calling his death an “unexpressible” loss, Joshna thanked family, friends and people across the country for their support, as well as the Delhi Police, leaders and public representatives who had reached out to the family.At the same time, she appealed for privacy as the family grieves and demanded a fair and impartial investigation.“We are not seeking revenge. We are seeking justice,” she said.“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. And this should not happen again, and not to others’ families as well,” she added.8 accused heldDelhi Police have arrested seven men and apprehended a juvenile in connection with Singh’s death.The accused have been identified as Bharat Kumar, 19, Pramod, 26, Ramzan Khan, 22, Deepanshu, 21, Mohan Vishwakarma, 32, Vijay, 36, Mannu, 26, and a juvenile. Police said they worked at different dhabas and food stalls.According to police, Singh, who belonged to the Meitei community, had objected to a group of men allegedly creating a nuisance outside his residence.Police have registered a case under Sections 103(2) (murder) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Investigators are examining CCTV footage and working to establish the exact sequence of events leading to the fatal assault.Kiren Rijiju seeks strictest punishmentUnion parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said on Tuesday that he was personally monitoring the investigation and that Delhi Police had assured him that a chargesheet would be filed within eight to nine days.Rijiju said he had spoken to senior police officers, including those handling matters concerning people from the Northeast, and called for the “strictest punishment possible” for those involved.“Police have assured me that the charge sheet will be filed within eight-nine days,” he said, adding that investigators would “not leave any stone unturned” in building a strong case against the accused.The minister said the accused were from different states, including Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.Rijiju also appealed against politicising the incident, saying the death of Singh should concern every Indian.“Every life is precious,” he said.Police said a special unit dealing with issues concerning people from the Northeast was coordinating the investigation. Arrangements have also been made to fly Singh’s body to Imphal on Wednesday.Singh had been living in Delhi’s Kilokari village for several years. A well-known musician from Manipur, he was associated with popular music bands in the state and also ran a music school in Delhi.(With agency inputs)
