RTI Activist and Assam Rifles Rifleman Rakhini Mipi Found Dead at Hunli Transit Camp
The 24th Assam Rifles rifleman and Dibang Valley RTI activist was found hanging in a bathroom at a Hunli transit camp; police have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating.
ROING- Rakhini Mipi, a rifleman of the 24th Assam Rifles and a prominent Right to Information (RTI) activist from Dibang Valley, was found dead under unexplained circumstances at a transit camp in Hunli, Lower Dibang Valley district, on Sunday morning.
According to police, Mipi was found hanging inside the bathroom of the Assam Rifles transit camp near the Circuit House at around 7:10 am.
Hunli Police Station Officer-in-Charge Inspector Mohon Mili said Mipi was travelling with his unit to Anini for an Armed Forces warfare exercise. The 24th Assam Rifles unit had reached Hunli on the evening of October 3 and was scheduled to proceed to Anini the following morning.
Lower Dibang Valley Superintendent of Police Ringu Ngupok said police have registered a case of unnatural death at Hunli police station and an investigation is underway.
The body was taken to Roing for post-mortem examination. Following the completion of the required formalities, it was handed over to the family.
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Police examining circumstances of death
Police have not ruled out the possibility of foul play, but officers have indicated that this aspect will be examined after statements from Mipi’s family members are recorded.
Those statements had not been recorded at the time of the reports cited in this story.
The police investigation is therefore continuing, and authorities have so far not attributed the death to any particular cause beyond registering it as an unnatural death.
No public statement from the Assam Rifles regarding the death was available in the reports cited.
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Mipi was known for RTI activism
The circumstances surrounding Mipi’s death have attracted wider attention because he was not only a serving Assam Rifles rifleman but also an active RTI campaigner known for raising questions about government projects and public works in the region.
According to reports, Mipi had used the RTI Act to raise concerns over alleged irregularities in several projects, including works under the Jal Jeevan Mission in the Dibang Valley districts.
He had also publicly opposed the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) and questioned the continuation of its pre-feasibility process amid opposition from sections of local residents.
In another recent instance, Mipi had raised concerns on social media over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Dibang Valley. He alleged that a significant number of non-APST persons had been enrolled and expressed concerns about possible gerrymandering.
He had also approached the National Green Tribunal in Kolkata against the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and contractors associated with NH-313, alleging environmental violations.
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Investigation remains open
Mipi’s record of activism has added public interest to the circumstances of his death. However, there is currently no established link between his activism and his death, and police have not made any such allegation.
For now, authorities are treating the case as an unnatural death while examining the circumstances surrounding the incident. The post-mortem findings, statements from family members and other evidence gathered during the investigation are expected to be important in determining what happened at the Hunli transit camp.
The case remains under investigation.
