Manipuri Musician’s Fatal Assault in Delhi Sparks Police Probe

On the night of September 6, a quiet residential lane in Kilokari, New Delhi, turned chaotic. Yaiphaba, the son of 54‑year‑old Manipuri vocalist Chongtham Vikram Singh, says he heard his father shouting from outside his door around 11:30 p.m.

When he opened the door, four or five men were already on the poor man, punching and kicking him in the face. The attackers—young, apparently impatient—fled as soon as Yaiphaba raised an alarm, but not before the son caught a glimpse of their faces. He told the police that, given another chance, he could recognise them.

Yaiphaba, his mother Jochia, and a neighbour named Rado rushed the injured musician to Holy Family Hospital in a taxi. During the frantic ride, Vikram Singh tried to explain that the assailants had come from a dhaba opposite their house and that they had previously threatened him after he complained about the noise they were making.

Unfortunately, the elderly singer collapsed inside the taxi. He was admitted to the hospital but, despite doctors’ efforts, succumbed to his injuries later that night.

In the FIR, Yaiphaba, who is currently pursuing a BA LLB at Asian Law College in Noida, described his father’s life as a once‑active musician who had been out of work for about seven‑eight years, spending most of his days at home. The family hails from Imphal, Manipur.

The complaint insists that the fatal injuries were a direct result of the assault and urges the Delhi Police to book all the youths involved. Authorities have registered the case and are now trying to track down the suspects.

The incident has revived concerns about safety in Delhi’s residential pockets and the vulnerability of migrants and artists who often live on the margins of the city.