Rijiju promises chargesheet within 9 days in Manipur musician killing

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said Delhi Police has assured him that a chargesheet will be filed within eight to nine days in the killing of Manipuri musician C Vikram Singh in south Delhi.

Rijiju said he had spoken to senior Delhi Police officers, including those dealing with issues concerning people from the Northeast, and was personally monitoring the investigation.

“Police have assured me that the chargesheet will be filed within eight-nine days,” Rijiju told reporters. He said investigators would not leave any stone unturned in building a strong case against those accused in the killing.

The minister also called for the “strictest possible” punishment for those involved.

Singh, 54, had been living in Kilokari village for several years. He was allegedly assaulted by a group of delivery workers and dhaba staff in the early hours of Monday after he objected to them allegedly shouting and drinking outside his apartment.

Police have arrested seven men and apprehended a juvenile in connection with the case. The accused have been identified as Bharat Kumar, 19, Pramod, 26, Ramzan Khan, 22, Deepanshu, 21, Mohan Vishwakarma, 32, Vijay, 36, Mannu, 26, and a juvenile.

According to police, the accused worked at different dhabas and food stalls. They allegedly assaulted Singh with blows and punches after he objected to the disturbance outside his home.

Singh's son Yaiphaba took him to Holy Family Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Rijiju said police had acted swiftly and tracked down the accused after they fled the spot. He said officials were in touch with Singh's family and arrangements had been made to fly his body to Imphal on Wednesday.

Reacting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's concerns over the safety of people from the Northeast, Rijiju said the incident should not be politicised.

“This is not the time for politics,” he said, adding that every Indian should be concerned when a person loses his life in such a tragedy.

Police said Singh belonged to the Meitei community. The Sunlight Colony police station received a PCR call about the assault, following which a preliminary enquiry was conducted.