Tripura DGP Anurag Dhankar found dead at police headquarters, autopsy ordered

Tripura director general of police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar was found dead under unexplained circumstances at the state Police Headquarters on Monday, with authorities awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.

According to officials, the senior IPS officer was discovered in the bathroom attached to his chamber at the Police Headquarters and was immediately rushed to the Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital.

Doctors declared him brought dead on arrival.

Dr Pradip Bhowmik, Head of the Department of Medicine at the hospital, said Anurag showed no signs of life when he was brought in.

"The exact cause of death can only be confirmed after the post-mortem examination," Dr Bhowmik told reporters, adding that the body had been sent for an autopsy.

Neither the Tripura government nor the state Police Headquarters has issued an official statement explaining the circumstances surrounding the officer's death.

A 1994-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Tripura cadre, Anurag Dhankar assumed charge as the state's director general of police in May 2025 after succeeding Amitabh Ranjan. Before becoming DGP, he headed the state's intelligence wing as director general of police (Intelligence).

During a career spanning more than three decades, Dhankar held several key policing assignments in Tripura, including superintendent of police in multiple districts, superintendent of police (Special Branch) and assistant inspector general (Headquarters).

He also served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo during 2003–04 and spent several years on central deputation with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).

Among his notable assignments, Dhankar chaired the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Academically, he held a postgraduate degree in Food Technology from the Central Food Technological Research Institute, a Master's degree in Police Management from Osmania University, a postgraduate diploma in Cyber Crimes from NALSAR University of Law and was also a Certified Fraud Examiner.

Authorities are expected to release further details once the post-mortem report is available.

With IANS inputs