Committee to Probe DGP Anurag Dhankar's Death to Be Constituted, Acting DGP GS Rao Says Multi-Officer Team Will Investigate

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, July 21, 2026

Acting Director General of Police (DGP) GS Rao on Tuesday announced that a committee comprising multiple senior police officers will be constituted to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged suicide of Tripura DGP Anurag Dhankar. The announcement comes amid mounting public scrutiny and demands for a transparent investigation into the death of the state's top police officer.

Addressing the media, Rao said the investigation would be carried out strictly in accordance with the law and that a team of senior police officers would examine all aspects of the case. He also informed that the committee would begin its work shortly.

Earlier in the day, the mortal remains of the late DGP were brought to the State Secretariat, where Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, Cabinet Minister Ratan Lal Nath, Chief Secretary JK Sinha, senior ministers, MLAs, top civil and police officials, and other dignitaries paid their last respects.

Expressing profound grief, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha described Dhankar's death as an "irreparable loss" for Tripura Police and the state administration. He assured that the incident would be investigated thoroughly in accordance with legal procedures and that all facts surrounding the case would be brought to light through due process.

The announcement of a police committee comes against the backdrop of growing questions over the mysterious circumstances surrounding Dhankar's death. Reports indicate that two mobile phones belonging to the late DGP are yet to be traced, while no Special Investigation Team (SIT) has so far been constituted despite demands from opposition parties, including the CPI(M) and the Congress, for an independent probe.

According to preliminary findings, forensic experts have recovered a dupatta believed to have been used in the incident. Investigators have reportedly established that the washroom attached to the DGP's office chamber had no ceiling fan and that a metal rod fixed to the wall was allegedly used as the hanging point. The exact cause and circumstances of death, however, remain subject to the post-mortem report, forensic examination, and the ongoing investigation.

Sources involved in the inquiry have reconstructed the sequence of events leading up to the incident. Dhankar reportedly arrived at his office around 10 am and instructed his orderly not to allow visitors into his chamber for about an hour. When he failed to emerge from the attached washroom, officials repeatedly knocked on the locked door before summoning a carpenter to break it open. Senior government officials, including the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and other top officers, along with his wife reached the Police Headquarters soon after and oversaw the subsequent formalities before the body was shifted to GB Pant Hospital.

Tripura Forensic Science Director HK Patihari has stated that the case prima facie appears to be one of suicide, while emphasizing that the final opinion will depend on the post-mortem findings and detailed forensic analysis.

Investigators are also examining Dhankar's recent official engagements. A few days before his death, he had travelled to New Delhi with the Superintendents of Police of all border districts to attend a meeting convened by the Union Home Minister. Sources have claimed that he appeared to be under mental stress after returning from Delhi, although no official agency has confirmed any motive behind his death.

With the formation of a multi-officer police committee now announced, authorities are expected to intensify the investigation into the disappearance of the DGP's mobile phones, the forensic evidence, and all other circumstances connected with the incident. However, the state government has not yet announced the formation of an SIT or any judicial inquiry, leaving several questions unanswered as opposition political demand for a comprehensive and impartial probe continues to grow.

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