Agartala: There was silence at Tripura Police Headquarters on Monday afternoon when state DGP Anurag Dhankhar was found dead. As soon as the news spread, a wave of mourning ran among the police and administration. He was immediately taken to GBP Hospital, but doctors declared him dead. The actual cause of death is not clear yet. Postmortem and forensic reports are awaited.
What happened in the hospital?
Dr Pradeep Bhowmik, senior doctor of GBP Hospital, said that Anurag Dhankhar was brought to the hospital at around 12 noon. At that time he had no pulse and blood pressure. The medical team tried to save him by giving continuous CPR for about 40 minutes but were not successful. He was declared dead at 12:48 pm. Doctors say that the actual cause of death will be known from the postmortem report.
What has come to light regarding the death?
After the incident, different information has come to light at the initial level. Some reports have suggested suicide by service pistol, while authorities have yet to officially confirm any cause. Forensic investigation has been started by sealing the police headquarters and all possible aspects are being investigated.
Who was Anurag Dhankhar?
Anurag Dhankhar was a 1994 batch IPS officer. He served more than 30 years in Tripura Police. In May 2025, he took charge of the Tripura Police Chief i.e. DGP. Before that he had also been DG-Intelligence of the state. His house was in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. Dhankar had a long and varied career.
Central Services:
- CBI: Reached SP, DIG, joint director and additional director here. During this time, he also led the investigation of the case related to PNB scam accused Nirav Modi.
- BSF and CISF: Also worked as IG personnel in CISF.
- UN Mission: Also served in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo.
Anurag Dhankhar was also the chairman of the SIT formed by the Home Ministry to investigate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He was known in the police department as an experienced and professional officer. After becoming DGP in May 2025, he was leading the Tripura Police.
Now in which direction is the investigation going?
Police and other investigating agencies are examining the evidence found from the scene. Officials say that an official statement on the cause of death will be issued only on the basis of postmortem report, forensic investigation and other evidence. Till then an appeal has been made to avoid any kind of speculation.
