Tripura DGP Anurag Dhankar found dead

In a shocking and tragic development, Tripura’s Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar was found dead at the State Police Headquarters in Agartala on Monday. Preliminary reports indicate that the senior 1994-batch IPS officer allegedly died by suicide.

Dhankar, a 1994-batch Tripura cadre officer who became DGP in May 2025, was found in his office at the headquarters. He was taken to Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital in Agartala and arrived around noon with no pulse or blood pressure. After more than 40 minutes of CPR, doctors declared him dead at 12.48 pm.

A post-mortem has been ordered to find the exact cause of death, and police and forensic teams are investigating the circumstances.

“Tripura Director General of Police Anurag Dhankar was found hanging in the washroom of his official chamber at the police headquarters on Monday”, according to Chief Minister Manik Saha. The CM said he visited the police headquarters with other top officials, including the chief secretary and the home secretary, after hearing the news. Saha wrote on Facebook, “I am deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic demise of Anurag, IPS, Director General of Police, Tripura.”

Anurag Dhankar was from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh and had over 30 years of experience in policing, intelligence, and investigations. He joined the IPS in 1994 and served in Tripura for almost 16 years, holding important roles like Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) and Director General (Intelligence). His knowledge of the state’s security and law-and-order issues earned him respect from colleagues and subordinates.

While on central deputation, Dhankar made important contributions at the national level. He worked in several roles with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), eventually becoming Additional Director. He was especially known for leading the investigation into the Punjab National Bank fraud case involving Nirav Modi, one of India’s biggest financial crime cases. He also served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo from 2003 to 2004.