Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar, a 1994-batch IPS officer, was found dead at the police headquarters in Agartala on Monday, with the police suspecting it to be a case of suicide.
According to preliminary information, Dhankar is believed to have shot himself with his own service pistol.
He was immediately rushed to Govind Ballabh Pant (GB) Hospital in Agartala, where doctors declared him dead.
“He was brought at the hospital at 12 pm, At that time he had no pulse, no blood pressure, no sign of life. We tried over 40 minutes by giving CPR but could not revive and at 12:48 he was declared dead. Post morterm will reveal his cause of death,” Pradip Bhowmik said.
Anurag Dhankar took charge as the Director General of Police of Tripura in May 2025, succeeding Amitabh Ranjan.
Before becoming the state's police chief, he served as Director General (Intelligence) in Tripura and had a distinguished career with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where he handled several high-profile investigations during his tenure. Known for his professional approach and extensive policing experience, Dhankar was regarded as one of the senior-most IPS officers in the state.
Dhankar handled Nirav Modi case
Known for his investigative acumen, Dhankar led the Central Bureau of Investigation's probe into the high-profile Nirav Modi case. The diamond merchant is accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank to the tune of Rs 13,000 crore. “IPS officer Anurag Dhankar led the CBI investigation against fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, accused of siphoning off Rs 6,498.20 crore in the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank fraud case,” the government noted.
During his long tenure with the CBI, Dhankar held several key positions including Superintendent of Police, Deputy Inspector General, Joint Director and Additional Director. He also served in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as Inspector General (Personnel).
Dhankar was part of UN Force
Between 2003 and 2004, Dhankar was part of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. From 2005 to 2013 and again from 2016 to 2023, he served on central deputation, handling responsibilities across the Bureau of Police Research and Development, CISF, and the CBI.
He also held the role of Chairman, Special Investigation Team on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
