New Delhi: Joshna Chongtham, wife of Manipuri guitarist Chongtham Vikram Singh who died Monday following an assault allegedly by a group of men, has demanded a fair and impartial investigation into her husband’s death and urged authorities to hold all those responsible accountable under the law.Addressing a news conference in Chanakyapuri Tuesday, she said the family had been devastated by Singh’s death. “I have lost my husband and my son has lost his father. My husband was a peace-loving musician who lived a peaceful life. On Sept 6, around 11.30pm, my husband went downstairs. He came running back upstairs, chased by eight men who beat him up before fleeing,” she said.According to Joshna, 55-year-old Singh complained of breathlessness, following which the family rushed him to the emergency department of Holy Family Hospital. “His blood pressure was found to be very low and, around 6am, he passed away.”Condemning the “senseless and brutal” killing, Manipur chief minister Y Khemchand Singh said in Imphal that the incident was a painful reminder of the safety concerns faced by people from the Northeast living, studying and working in the national capital. In a letter to his Delhi counterpart, Rekha Gupta, Singh urged a fair, time-bound and high-level probe under senior police officers’ supervision, and the prosecution of the accused to the fullest extent of the law. Police said an investigation from all angles was being conducted.He also sought reinforced security measures in localities with significant populations of students and working professionals from northeastern states, stressing that such incidents must not be treated as isolated cases.Thanking everyone for the love and support, Joshna urged the authorities to hold everyone responsible accountable under the law. “We are not seeking revenge. We are seeking justice,” she said. Joshna works at an MNC, while their son is a law student.Binalakshmi Nepram, a founder member of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network, said, “He lost his life because eight people in Sunlight Colony went up to the third floor and beat him to death in front of his wife and son. Is this the India that we want to live in?” She alleged that the assault was a case of racial violence, emphasising that such attacks must end.Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra, who met the family Tuesday, said the killing was a “horrifying incident”, but had no racial angle. He appealed to opposition parties not to indulge in “dirty politics”. “All of Delhi stands with the bereaved family,” the East Delhi MP said.He said Delhi Police, which had already arrested all the accused, would present the chargesheet in court at the earliest. Malhotra also said Delhi govt would recommend that the case be tried expeditiously in a special court.Singh’s son, Yaiphaba, has told police that he was at home when he heard his father shouting. On opening the door, he allegedly saw a group of men kicking and punching Singh. Yaiphaba raised an alarm, following which they fled. He told police that he had seen their faces and would be able to identify them.Singh was then taken to hospital in a taxi by his son, wife and a neighbour. During the journey, Singh told them that the attackers had come from the dhaba opposite their house. He also said some of the men earlier threatened him after he had objected to noise and commotion in the area, Yaiphaba stated.Singh’s neighbour said the family had been living on the third floor with his wife and son for around nine years. “It was close to midnight when I finished dinner and my daughter and I were getting ready for bed. Suddenly, we heard screams and loud shouting,” she said.
