Manipur musician mob-lynched in Delhi for complaining about noise

Guwahati: A 54-year-old musician from Manipur, Chongtham Vikram Singh, died on Monday after being brutally assaulted by a group of men outside his home in southeast Delhi, following a dispute over noise and nuisance, according to the police. The Delhi Police have registered an FIR invoking provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to mob lynching and common intent. Seven men have been arrested and a 15-year-old boy detained in connection with the case, the police said. Singh, who lived in the Ashram area of southeast Delhi, was attacked after objecting to shouting and other disturbances involving delivery workers and staff of a nearby dhaba. The Hindu reported that Singh had previously complained about excessive noise and that some of the people involved had threatened him following those complaints. The complaint filed by Singh's son, Yaiphaba, states that his father told him while being taken to hospital that people from a nearby dhaba had attacked him. Around 11.30 p.m. on Sunday, Yaiphaba and his mother heard loud noises and Singh screaming. When Yaiphaba opened the door, he saw four to five people assaulting his father with kicks and punches, according to the complaint. The attackers fled after he raised an alarm. Yaiphaba and his mother rushed Singh to a private hospital in a taxi. He died of his injuries on Monday morning. His body was subsequently taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for post-mortem, according to his family. The police have identified the arrested accused as Bharat Kumar, Pramod, Ramzan Khan, Deepanshu, Mohan Vishwakarma, Vijay and Mannu. The accused are aged between 15 and 36 and were involved in packaging and delivering food from nearby dhabas, the police said. The FIR was registered against unknown persons under Sections 103(2) and 3(5) of the BNS. Section 103(2) concerns murder by a group of five or more persons on grounds including race, caste or community. However, the police have not established a racial motive in the case. The Delhi Police said the circumstances leading to Singh's assault and death were being ascertained and that further legal action would follow the investigation. Singh was a guitarist and music teacher from Imphal who had performed with rock bands and was part of Manipur's Western music scene. He was also the eldest son of renowned Manipuri singer Chongtham Kamala. Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh expressed deep concern over Singh's death and urged the Delhi Police to conduct a thorough investigation and take appropriate action. The North East Media Forum condemned the killing and called for strict action against those responsible. It also urged the authorities to examine the possibility of racial or identity-based targeting, citing concerns over incidents of violence, intimidation and discrimination against people from the Northeast in Delhi.