Tripura top cop found dead in office; cops suspect he shot himself

Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar, a 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, was found dead at the state police headquarters in Agartala on Monday. Police officials suspect the incident to be a case of suicide. According to initial findings, Dhankar is believed to have used his service pistol to shoot himself inside the police headquarters. He was rushed to the Govind Ballabh Pant (GB) Hospital in Agartala, where doctors declared him dead despite prolonged efforts to revive him.

"He was brought to the hospital at around 12 pm. At that time, he had no pulse, no blood pressure and no signs of life. We administered CPR for more than 40 minutes, but he could not be revived. He was declared dead at 12:48 pm. The post-mortem examination will determine the exact cause of death," said Dr Pradip Bhowmik. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Officials said the precise sequence of events leading to Dhankar's death is still being examined.

Dhankar assumed charge as Tripura's Director General of Police in May 2025, taking over from Amitabh Ranjan. Before his appointment as the state's police chief, he served as Director General (Intelligence) in Tripura. Earlier in his career, he held key positions in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where he was associated with several high-profile investigations. Widely respected for his professionalism and extensive policing experience, Dhankar was among the senior-most IPS officers serving in the state. His untimely death has sent shockwaves through the state's police force and administrative circles, with colleagues and government officials expressing grief over the loss.