Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Tuesday urged Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to ensure a fair and thorough investigation into the death of a 54-year-old musician from the state, who allegedly died after being assaulted outside his apartment in southeast Delhi.
Chongtham Vikram Singh succumbed to his injuries on Monday after he was allegedly attacked by a group of men outside his residence in Kilokari village in the early hours of the day. Police have arrested seven men and apprehended a juvenile in connection with the case.
According to police, Singh had objected to a group of men, including delivery workers and dhaba staff, allegedly shouting and drinking alcohol outside his residence. A preliminary inquiry found that he was assaulted after he asked them to lower the noise.
In a statement, Khemchand urged Gupta to ensure that the investigation was conducted under the direct supervision of senior police officers and that all those involved were apprehended without delay and prosecuted.
“No one should have to face such violence or lose their life simply for seeking peace in their own neighbourhood,” he said, describing the incident as a “senseless and brutal act of violence”.
The Manipur Chief Minister also flagged concerns over the safety of people from the Northeast living, studying and working in Delhi, and urged the Delhi government to strengthen security in areas with significant populations of students and working professionals from the region.
The killing also triggered a political exchange, with the Congress accusing the BJP-led government of failing to ensure law and order in the national capital.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described Singh’s death as a “merciless lynching” and alleged that Delhi had become a “crime capital”. He said people from the Northeast, as well as women, Dalits, Adivasis and minorities, remained vulnerable.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said Singh was beaten to death after going downstairs to ask a group of men to lower the noise outside his home. He demanded a swift investigation and asked what the Union Home Ministry and Delhi Police were doing to address the growing lawlessness, particularly against people from the Northeast.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the killing a “national shame” and demanded immediate action against those responsible.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said he was monitoring the investigation and that Delhi Police had assured him that a chargesheet would be filed within eight to nine days. He called for the “strictest punishment possible” for those involved.
Rijiju said the eight accused were from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, and that police had acted swiftly after the incident to track them down.
The BJP, meanwhile, hit back at the Congress over its criticism. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia referred to controversial remarks made by Congress leader Sam Pitroda in 2024, when he had said that people from the Northeast “look like the Chinese”. The Congress had at the time distanced itself from the remarks, calling them unfortunate and unacceptable.
The North East Students Society, Delhi University, also condemned Singh’s death and described him as a “respected Manipuri musician”, calling for a swift, fair and thorough investigation.
(With inputs from PTI)