Chargesheet filed in lynching of Manipuri musician in Delhi

The Delhi Police on Monday said they have filed a chargesheet in Saket court against seven people in connection with the alleged lynching of well-known Manipuri musician Vikram Singh Chongtham in southeast Delhi’s Kilokari village in September, officers said

The Delhi Police on Monday said they have filed a chargesheet in Saket court against seven people in connection with the alleged lynching of well-known Manipuri musician Vikram Singh Chongtham in southeast Delhi’s Kilokari village in September, officers said.

Musician Chongtham Vikram Singh, 54 (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

The 54-year-old was allegedly chased and beaten by a group of eight people, including delivery workers and dhaba staff, on the stairs near his apartment in front of his 20-year-old son, Yaiphaba, around 11.30 pm on September 6 after he objected to them shouting and drinking alcohol outside his residence. He was rushed to the hospital after the incident, succumbing to his injuries the next day.

The chargesheet, seen by HT, has been filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for criminal conspiracy, murder by a group of five or more people (mob lynching), murder, and house-trespass.

The police filed the 300 page chargesheet on September 30 at Saket court. The court last week took cognisance of the chargesheet and initiated proceedings against the seven accused. Police have named 19-year-old Bharat Kumar, 26-year-old Pramod, 22-year-old Ramzan Khan, 21-year-old Deepanshu, 32-year-old Mohan Vishwakarma, 36-year-old Vijay, and 26-year-old Mannu in the chargesheet.

The eighth accused, a minor, has been booked in a preliminary investigation report (PIR).

The chargesheet mentions more than 20 witnesses and includes stills from CCTV footage showing the men following and attacking Singh.

While it does not mention any racial violence, it notes that the accused had previously “threatened” the victim as well. Singh’s son is named as the primary witness and his testimony has been included.

The postmortem examination report included in the chargesheet showed that Singh died of haemorrhagic shock caused by blunt-force injuries to his chest and abdomen. He was taken to Holy Family Hospital around 12.25 am on the day of the incident in an unconscious and unresponsive state and died at around 6.32 am.

The report documented multiple abrasions on his head, face, neck, limbs, chest, abdomen and back, fractures of several ribs on both sides, and a laceration of the spleen. It also recorded around two litres of blood and 160 grams of clotted blood in the abdominal cavity.