CPIM Steps Up Pressure for High Court-Monitored Probe into DGP Anurag Dhankar's Death, Governor Assures Matter Will Be Examined
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, July 27, 2026
The mysterious death of Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar has taken a significant political turn, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) intensifying its demand for an independent judicial inquiry by submitting separate memoranda to Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu at Raj Bhavan on Monday.
In the first meeting, a nine-member delegation of CPIM MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury, today morning met the Governor and urged that the investigation into the DGP's death be conducted under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court to ensure transparency, impartiality and public confidence.
Shortly afterwards, a five-member senior CPIM delegation, headed by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, also met the Governor. The delegation included Rama Das, Shankar Dutta, Krishna Rakshit and Naresh Jamatia. They submitted a separate memorandum reiterating the demand for a High Court-monitored investigation into what they described as the "unnatural death" of the state's top police officer.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Manik Sarkar said the Governor acknowledged that the mystery surrounding the DGP's death needs to be uncovered.
"The Governor himself said that the mystery behind this unnatural death needs to be unravelled. He did not oppose our demand for a High Court-monitored investigation and assured us that he would examine the matter," Sarkar said.
The CPIM has maintained that only an investigation supervised by a sitting High Court judge can remove public doubts and ensure that all aspects of the case are investigated impartially.
The political developments come even as the Tripura Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a detailed probe into the death.
According to an official order issued by the Office of the Director General of Police, the SIT has been formed to investigate West Agartala Police Station UD Case No. 2026WAG045, registered on July 20, 2026, under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The investigation is being headed by the Superintendent of Police, West Tripura, with Additional Superintendent of Police (Urban) Dhruba Nath and Sub-Inspector Shubhojit Deb, the present Investigating Officer, serving as members of the team.
The order authorises the SIT to seek assistance from the Tripura Police Crime Branch or any other police unit whenever required. It also permits the use of technical and forensic support from the Cyber Crime Unit of the Tripura Police Crime Branch.
To ensure close supervision, the SIT has been directed to submit weekly progress reports to the Inspector General of Police (Law & Order), Tripura, for review by the Director General of Police.
The death of DGP Anurag Dhankar has triggered widespread public concern and political debate across Tripura. While the state police have initiated a formal SIT investigation, the opposition CPIM continues to press for judicial oversight, arguing that such monitoring is essential to ensure an impartial, credible and transparent investigation.
With both the SIT probe underway and the Governor now in receipt of separate memoranda from CPIM legislators and senior party leaders, the case is expected to remain under intense public and political scrutiny in the coming days.
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