Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on July 25 called for a neutral, independent probe into the sudden and “unnatural” death of Anurag Dhankar, urging that the investigation be conducted under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court. Dhankar was found hanging in the washroom attached to his office chamber at the state police headquarters in Agartala on July 20. The Tripura government has formed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by West Tripura Superintendent of Police Namit Pathak to look into the case.
Addressing the media, the veteran CPI(M) leader said his party had immediately demanded a High Court-monitored inquiry after the incident, arguing that the circumstances surrounding the death of the state’s top police officer warranted judicial oversight. “Anurag Dhankar’s unnatural death is truly unbelievable. A fair and impartial investigation is essential to uncover the truth,” Sarkar said.
Sarkar recalled his long professional association with Dhankar, saying he had observed the IPS officer’s career for nearly two decades — from his tenure as a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) to his rise as Inspector General (Law and Order) and later Director General of Police.
The former chief minister alleged that Tripura’s law-and-order situation had deteriorated over the past eight to ten months, increasing pressure on the police. He suggested Dhankar had tried to address those challenges and that such efforts may have brought him into conflict with the state’s top leadership.
“In such circumstances, his unnatural death cannot be viewed in isolation. A neutral investigation is necessary to establish the real cause, and those responsible, if any, must be brought to justice,” Sarkar said, framing his demand for judicial oversight as necessary to restore public confidence.
Sarkar also questioned the state government’s decision to appoint a three-member inquiry headed by the West Tripura SP. While acknowledging the government’s authority to order internal probes, he said the death of a DGP required higher judicial scrutiny and alleged that demands for an inquiry supervised by the Chief Justice or a sitting High Court judge were being ignored. “This creates further doubts and raises more questions in the minds of the people,” he added.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/tripura/story/ex-tripura-cm-calls-for-neutral-high-court-monitored-inquiry-into-dgps-death-1429654-2026-07-25?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-07-25 19:18:00
