Tripura DGP Anurag Dhankar found dead in office, suicide suspected

Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar was found dead in his office at the state police headquarters in Agartala on Monday. Dhankar, a 1994-batch IPS officer of the assignment cadre, was immediately rushed to the Govind Ballabh Pant (G B Pant) Hospital, where doctors officially declared him dead at 12:48 PM. The sudden incident triggered an immediate high-level response, drawing Chief Minister Manik Saha, Chief Secretary J K Sinha, and several senior police and government officials to the headquarters before they proceeded to the medical facility.

Reports cited an official stating that Dhankar died by suicide, authorities have not officially confirmed the exact cause of death, and a comprehensive investigation remains underway. Dhankar had assumed formal charge as the state's Director General of Police in May 2025. During his extensive professional career, the senior officer held several key positions within the Tripura Police and also served on external deputations with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Border Security Force (BSF).

The news of the police chief's sudden demise has sparked immediate reactions across the political landscape of the state. Opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury expressed concern over the incident and formally demanded a judicial inquiry to establish the actual cause and the underlying reason behind the death. Meanwhile, Tripura BJP chief Abhishek Debroy expressed his deep grief, stating that a magisterial-level probe has been initiated into the incident and the absolute truth will be established following the post-mortem examination.