Manipuri musician killed in Delhi was cousin of BAFTA-winning ‘Boong’ director

Chongtham Vikram Singh was a gifted guitarist who had spent decades making music his language.

NEW DELHI: Chongtham Vikram Singh, a 55-year-old Manipuri musician, was allegedly beaten to death outside his Delhi home on Sunday night after he went downstairs to object to a group of men creating a ruckus.Who was Chongtham Vikram Singh?Singh was a gifted guitarist who had spent decades making music his language.He played lead guitar for several bands in Manipur before moving to Delhi nearly 20 years ago, where he built a life around his passion for music.

A resident of Thangmeiband Lourung Purel Leikai in Imphal West, Singh later established a music school in Delhi, mentored students from home and also taught at the Delhi School of Music.His musical journey included the Rock'n'Roots project, through which he collaborated with Rajasthani folk singer Mame Khan. He also worked with several other renowned musicians for cultural shows and concerts.Singh came from a family with a strong musical legacy. His mother, 86-year-old Chongtham Ongbi Kamala Devi, is a renowned classical and modern Manipuri singer.Singh was also a cousin of Lakshmipriya Devi, director of Boong, India's first BAFTA Award-winning film.

He is survived by his wife, Jyotsana, 54, and their 20-year-old son, Yaiphaba. Jyotsana works as a senior consultant with an MNC, while Yaiphaba is a law student.What happened on Sunday night?According to Singh's family, a group of eight men, allegedly intoxicated, were creating a ruckus outside his home around 11pm. Singh went downstairs to ask them to stop.A few minutes later, his family heard him banging on the door and shouting, "Thong hango! Thong hango!" (open the door, open the door).His son, Yaiphaba, found him in a semi-conscious state with his T-shirt ripped apart. He was rushed to Holy Family Hospital, where doctors found his blood pressure had fallen below 50mm Hg. His condition was too critical for surgery and he died around 6.30am on Monday.Talking to TOI from Imphal, Singh's brother Vivek said the family had not yet told their 96-year-old father, Dr Chongtham Birendra Singh, about the death, fearing he would not be able to bear the loss.

His mother, he said, was inconsolable.Friends remembered Singh as a gentle and accomplished musician who remained deeply passionate about his craft.Protest over musician's deathManipuri associations in Delhi said that although the postmortem had been completed, they did not want Singh's body to be sent to Manipur until justice was done."Once the last rites are over, only the family bears the loss, and the incident fades into oblivion," a Manipuri activist in Delhi said.Northeast student groups, friends and family members also staged a protest outside Sunlight Colony police station, demanding justice in the case.