Tripura DGP Anurag Dhankar Declared Dead, Body Recovered from Office Bathroom, Investigation Underway
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, July 20, 2026
Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar, IPS was declared dead after being brought to GB Pant Hospital on Monday, following the recovery of his body from the bathroom inside his official chamber at the Police Headquarters in Agartala.
According to official sources, the bathroom door had to be broken open after concerns arose over his whereabouts. He was found hanging inside the bathroom and was immediately rushed to GB Pant Hospital.
Dr. Pradip Bhowmik of GB Pant Hospital confirmed that Dhankar was brought to the hospital with no signs of life.
"He was brought to the hospital dead. There was no scope for any medical treatment," Dr. Bhowmik said.
The body has since been shifted to the hospital morgue, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death.
The shocking incident sent shockwaves across the state administration. Soon after receiving information, Tripura Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha rushed to the Police Headquarters. A forensic team also reached the spot and began collecting evidence as part of the investigation.
While the circumstances indicate an apparent suicide, officials have not yet made any formal statement regarding the cause of death. Senior authorities have maintained that the matter is under investigation, and no conclusions should be drawn until the forensic examination and police inquiry are completed.
Investigators are expected to examine all possible angles, including personal, professional, administrative and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. However, at this stage, no official evidence has emerged pointing to any specific reason behind the death.
A senior police officer familiar with Dhankar's personal life told reporters that, to his knowledge, the DGP had no known family-related problems. His wife was living with him in Agartala, while their only son, who has completed his studies, is currently residing in Canada.
Colleagues described Anurag Dhankar as an honest, professional and dynamic IPS officer who enjoyed a reputation for integrity and commitment to public service.
Anurag Dhankar was a 1994-batch IPS officer of the Tripura cadre and assumed charge as the Director General of Police of Tripura in May 2025. Prior to becoming the state's police chief, he served as DGP (Intelligence). During his career spanning more than three decades, he held several key positions in the Tripura Police and also served on central deputation with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Border Security Force (BSF). He was also part of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, where he gained valuable international policing experience.
Authorities are expected to release further details after the post-mortem examination and the progress of the ongoing investigation. Until then, the exact circumstances surrounding the death remain under official scrutiny.
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