Imphal, Sep 9 (IANS) The mortal remains of Manipuri musician Chongtham Vikram Singh, who died in Delhi on September 7 after allegedly being assaulted, were brought to Imphal on Wednesday, with a large number of family members, friends, well-wishers and members of the music fraternity gathering at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport to receive the body.
Vikram Singh, a 54-year-old guitarist and music teacher, allegedly died after being assaulted by a group of delivery workers and dhaba staff outside his apartment in Delhi’s Kilokari village in the early hours of Monday.
He had reportedly objected to the noise being made by the group.
Several mourners broke down as the mortal remains arrived at the airport.
Speaking after receiving the body, the slain musician’s brother, Chongtham Vivek, said his death had caused profound grief to the family and people across Manipur, besides being a major loss to the music fraternity.
He called for strict punishment for those responsible and urged the authorities to complete the investigation and legal proceedings at the earliest.
“It was a very sad and painful moment for people in the state and across the country,” Vivek said, adding that his brother’s death was not only a loss for the family but also for the entire music fraternity.
Meanwhile, renowned singer Sadananda Hamom called for capital punishment for those responsible for the alleged killing of Vikram Singh and expressed concern over racial discrimination faced by people from the Northeast.
Describing Vikram Singh as a “very loveable and down-to-earth person”, Sadananda said his death following the alleged assault was extremely unfortunate.
He added that the incident had renewed concerns over racial discrimination against people from the Northeast in Delhi and urged the authorities to take the strongest possible action against those responsible.
A large number of organisations and individuals, including the Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD), Manipur International Youth Centre (MIYC) and North East India Support Centre and Helpline (NEISCH), have condemned the killing, describing it as a possible racist attack and calling for a thorough investigation into the alleged racial motive behind the incident.
Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Tuesday urged his Delhi counterpart Rekha Gupta to expedite a high-level probe into the alleged murder of the musician and ensure stringent prosecution of the accused.
The Manipur Chief Minister urged CM Rekha Gupta to ensure that the investigation was conducted expeditiously and that those responsible for the killing were brought to justice through stringent prosecution.
“Should circumstances warrant, the feasibility of transferring the case to an independent, specialised agency such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be proactively explored to reinforce complete public confidence,” Manipur Chief Minister Singh said in his letter to CM Rekha Gupta.
Union Minister for Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday assured that strict action would be taken against those accused in the alleged murder.
Rijiju said he had spoken to the Delhi Police, which had assured him that a strong chargesheet in the case would be filed within two weeks.
Taking to social media platform X, Union Minister Rijiju said he was “deeply distressed” by the tragic demise of Chongtham Vikram Singh and stressed that the safety and dignity of every person from the Northeast, as well as every Indian, was non-negotiable.
He also conveyed his condolences to Vikram Singh’s family and loved ones.
–IANS
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