Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar was found dead at the state Police Headquarters in Agartala on Monday, with officials saying the cause of death will be known only after a post-mortem examination.
According to officials, the senior IPS officer was found in the bathroom attached to his office chamber at the Police Headquarters. He was rushed to Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Dr Pradip Bhowmik, Head of the Department of Medicine at the hospital, said Anurag was brought in without any signs of life.
“We have sent the body for post-mortem examination. The exact cause of death can only be confirmed after the post-mortem report is received,” he told reporters.
The Tripura government and the state police have not officially disclosed the circumstances surrounding the death.
Dhankar, who belonged to the 1994 IPS batch, assumed charge as Tripura’s Director General of Police on May 17, 2025. Before that, he headed the state’s intelligence wing as DGP (Intelligence). Earlier, he held the posts of Additional Director General of Police and Additional Director General (Law and Order).
He was awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
During his career, 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).
Outside the state, he was part of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo during 2003-04 and served on central deputation in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He also headed the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Union Home Ministry to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Police are awaiting the post-mortem report before commenting on the cause of death.
(With inputs from ANI and IANS)