A 51 year old man from Tirap district was found dead in Andhra Pradesh last week, prompting grief across Arunachal Pradesh and allegations of delayed response by local authorities.

Kamlo Mophuk of Lazu village had left Tinsukia by train on May 16, 2026 to visit his daughter in Bengaluru. His family said he was allegedly assaulted by unidentified persons during the journey and deboarded at Ongole Railway Station in Prakasam district on May 18, fearing for his life.

Mophuk approached the Railway Police at Ongole and later the local police station, but relatives allege he received no immediate assistance and “little cooperation.”

His last contacts with family were distress calls. On the evening of May 18, he told his daughter Ngona Mophuk that unknown persons were following him and that his phone battery was low. He spoke to his wife around 11 pm. The final call came at 8 am on May 19, after which his phone went off.

From May 19 to 24, his daughters in Bengaluru searched for him. The family claims they initially faced “negligence and lack of urgency” from authorities in Andhra Pradesh.

The search intensified only after Arunachal Minister Wangki Lowang intervened and contacted officials in Andhra Pradesh. Police and forest teams then traced Mophuk’s body near a cemetery using his mobile location.

Though the body was reportedly recovered on May 21, the family says they were informed only on May 23. The two day gap has triggered criticism. “Had the authorities shown greater sensitivity and timely cooperation from the beginning, the tragic outcome might possibly have been prevented,” relatives said.

The death has triggered mourning in Lazu and across Tirap. Community members are demanding a fair inquiry into the alleged assault, the response to Mophuk’s pleas for help, and the delay in informing his family.

Andhra Pradesh Police and Railway authorities have not yet issued a statement. The post mortem report is awaited.