Gifted Manipuri guitarist who built his life around music in Delhi for 20 years beaten to death outside h - The Times of India

**Gifted Manipuri guitarist killed in Delhi after a violent altercation**

A 48‑year‑old guitarist and music teacher from Manipur, who had made Delhi his home for more than two decades, was found dead on the pavement outside his North Delhi residence on Tuesday night. According to the Delhi Police, the victim, identified as **L. K. Thangjam**, was attacked by a group of men after he intervened in a disturbance involving delivery boys and staff of a nearby dhaba who were allegedly drinking and creating a ruckus outside his house. Eyewitnesses say the assault escalated quickly, with the assailants beating Thangjam repeatedly before fleeing the scene. He was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries en route.

The police have detained eight individuals in connection with the incident, charging them with murder and mob‑lynching under the recently amended Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code. Delhi Commissioner of Police Rakesh Asthana said the investigation is “being pursued with all possible rigor” and that forensic teams have collected CCTV footage, blood samples, and the victims’ personal belongings to reconstruct the chain of events. The suspects, who include three delivery personnel and five dhaba workers, are currently being held at the Delhi Central Jail and will appear before a court on Friday.

The killing has sent shockwaves through the North‑East diaspora and the Indian music community. Fellow musicians and cultural organisations in Delhi and Imphal have condemned the act as an “unjust and brutal silencing of a beloved artist.” Thangjam’s family, who arrived from Manipur shortly after the incident, have called for swift justice and urged authorities to address what they see as a growing pattern of mob violence targeting vulnerable migrants. The incident also revives concerns over public safety in densely populated neighborhoods and the need for stricter enforcement of anti‑lynching provisions.