Indian Bureaucracy News, Agartala, July 20, 2026 | Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar IPS was found dead under unexplained circumstances at the State Police Headquarters today morning (20.07.2026), with authorities awaiting post-mortem results to ascertain the cause of death. The 1994-batch IPS officer was discovered in the bathroom attached to his office chamber at around 11:40 am by his staff and was immediately rushed to Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
News agencies, quoting official sources, stated that the officer was last seen entering the washroom adjacent to his office at around 11 am His staff, alerted by his prolonged absence, subsequently forced the door open.
Investigation Underway; Cause of Death Awaits Post-Mortem
According to officials, the senior IPS officer showed no signs of life when he was brought in. Dr Pradip Bhowmik, Head of the Department of Medicine at the hospital, stated that Dhankar had no pulse or blood pressure on arrival. “We gave him CPR, but could not revive him. We declared him dead,” he said, adding that the exact cause can only be confirmed after the post-mortem examination. He was officially pronounced dead at 12:48 pm. The body has been sent for autopsy, and authorities are awaiting the report before commenting further.
The Tripura Police Headquarters has officially registered a case of unnatural death.
While preliminary reports have suggested the possibility of suicide, with some media reports indicating that Dhankar may have shot himself with his service pistol or was found hanging, authorities have not issued any official confirmation regarding the cause of death. Senior police officials secured the area and launched an investigation.
Chief Minister Manik Saha, Chief Secretary J K Sinha, and other top government officials visited the hospital following the incident.
Political Flashpoint Emerges; Opposition Demands Judicial Probe
The tragic demise of Tripura DGP Anurag Dhankar has rapidly shifted into a political flashpoint, with the opposition rigorously demanding a transparent investigation. Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury has formally called for a high-level judicial inquiry led by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court to dispel any doubts surrounding the senior officer’s sudden death within the heavily secured Police Headquarters. Amid growing public shock, Chief Minister Manik Saha, along with top administrative leaders including Chief Secretary J K Sinha and former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, visited the hospital to assess the situation and coordinate with the family. Tripura BJP chief Abhishek Debroy has assured a magisterial-level probe into the incident. Dhankar is survived by his wife and daughter; notably, the opposition has requested that the final post-mortem procedures wait until his family arrives in Agartala to ensure full family oversight during the forensic process.
One of India’s Most Experienced Officers
Anurag Dhankar, who hailed from Baghpat district in Uttar Pradesh, assumed charge as the Director General of Police of Tripura on May 17, 2025, succeeding Amitabh Ranjan. A highly decorated officer, he was awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, Dhankar served in several key policing roles in Tripura, including as Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Longtharai Valley and Superintendent of Police of the undivided West and South Tripura districts. He also served as Superintendent of Police (Special Branch) and Assistant Inspector General of Police (Headquarters). Before becoming the state’s police chief, he had also served as DGP (Intelligence) and played an instrumental role as Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) between 2013 and 2016.
Led High-Profile Investigations Including Nirav Modi Case
Anurag Dhankar’s career extended well beyond state policing. He served as the Chairman of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted under the Ministry of Home Affairs to review closed and uninvestigated cases from the 1984 anti-Sikh violence. His team overturned earlier closure reports, secured evidence against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, and filed detailed chargesheets. The probe revived eyewitness accounts, some of which later featured in court proceedings, and deployed advanced forensic tools including audio analysis. His role is widely recognised as a decisive effort to bring closure to one of the most painful chapters in modern Indian history.
He spent a significant tenure with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), rising through the ranks to serve as Superintendent of Police, Deputy Inspector General, Joint Director, and Additional Director. His most notable assignment at the central agency was leading the investigation into the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case involving fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi — one of the biggest financial scams in India’s history.
He served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo during 2003-04 and held key positions in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as Inspector General (Personnel) and the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).
Colleagues in Shock
The sudden and tragic death of the state’s police chief has left the police fraternity and the entire administrative establishment in deep shock. Authorities are expected to release further details once the post-mortem report is available.