Itanagar: Former Arunachal Pradesh legislator Kapchen Rajkumar died in a tragic elephant attack on Wednesday morning while walking from his native Namsang village to Deomali town in Tirap district. He was 65.
The incident was confirmed by Tirap Superintendent of Police, Aditya, who said the former MLA was attacked en route to Deomali, where he was reportedly heading on foot.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed grief over the unexpected loss and described Rajkumar as a dedicated public servant who had made lasting contributions to the development of Tirap.
“His dedication to serving the community and his contributions to our society will always be remembered,” Khandu posted on social media.
Rajkumar served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly representing the then Khonsa North constituency from 1985 to 1990.
Born on April 15, 1960, in Namsang, he was the son of Wangmei Rajkumar, a former acting village chief.
He began his education at Ramakrishna Mission School, Narottamnagar, before continuing at Government Higher Secondary School, Khonsa. He also pursued a commercial pilot training course at Safdarjung Airport in New Delhi.
In remembrance of his service, Khandu said that directives have been issued to process an ex-gratia grant for the bereaved family. His funeral will take place on Thursday in Namsang.
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State Environment and Forest Minister Wangki Lowang, who represents the Namsang constituency, also paid tribute.
“Deeply saddened to hear that former MLA Kapchen Rajkumar lost his life in a tragic wild elephant attack this morning… My heartfelt condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace,” he said in a social media post.
Rajkumar is survived by his wife and several children.
His death has sent shockwaves across Tirap district, where he remained a respected figure long after his political tenure.
