Yumsen Matey was a prominent local leader. (File)
A former Congress MLA was killed while attending a social event in Arunachal Pradesh's Tirap district. Yumsen Matey, a prominent local leader, was visiting the Raho village near the Myanmar Border when he was shot dead, police said.
The former legislator, along with his three associates, was in the village when someone approached them and took them to a nearby forest, senior Tirap police officer Rahul Gupta said. In the forest, someone shot Matey, killing him on the spot, he added. The attacker then escaped towards Myanmar.
While police refused to identify the attackers it is suspected that they may be linked to the terrorist group NSCN-KYA. The police have launched a search for the attacker.
In 2009, Matey was elected as a Congress MLA from the 56th Khonsa West Assembly Constituency. During his tenure, he held the position of Parliamentary Secretary, overseeing the Departments of Women and Social Welfare, Social Justice and Tribal Affairs.
He joined the BJP in 2015 and, earlier this year, declared his willingness to contest the assembly polls in 2024.