RTI activist Rifleman, found dead under mysterious circumstances in Arunachal Pradesh

An RTI activist and rifleman with the 24th Assam Rifles, Rakhini Mipi, was found dead at Hunli in Arunachal Pradesh's Lower Dibang Valley district on Sunday morning, according to a report by The Arunachal Times.

Hunli police station officer-in-charge Inspector Mohon Mili said Mipi's body was found hanging inside the bathroom of an Army transit camp near the Circuit House at around 7:10 am.

Mipi was travelling with his unit to Anini for an Armed Forces warfare exercise. The 24th Assam Rifles had arrived in Hunli on the evening of October 3 and was scheduled to leave for Anini the next morning, according to the report.

Police have registered a case of unnatural death and launched an investigation. The body was taken to Roing for a post-mortem examination before being handed over to Mipi's family, Lower Dibang Valley police said.

Police have not ruled out the possibility of foul play. However, the report said officers would examine that possibility after recording statements from Mipi's family members.

Mipi was known for using the Right to Information Act to seek information on government projects. He had raised allegations of corruption in several projects, including those linked to the Jal Jeevan Mission in two districts of the Dibang Valley region.

On August 10, Mipi also raised concerns on social media over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Dibang Valley. He alleged that a significant number of non-Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes (APSTs) had been enrolled and expressed concerns that this could lead to gerrymandering in the future.