'Judicial Inquiry Must': Tripura opposition demands probe into DGP Anurag Dhankhar's death

The death of Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar, who was found dead inside his office at the state police headquarters on Monday, has triggered political reactions, with the opposition demanding a judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

According to official sources, the 1994-batch IPS officer was found unconscious in his office and was rushed to Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital in Agartala.

Head of the Medicine Department at the hospital, Dr Pradip Bhoumik, said Dhankar was brought to the hospital around noon and was declared dead at 12:48 pm.

"The cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem examination," Dr Bhoumik said.

Dhankar is survived by his wife and daughter.

Soon after the incident, Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, Health Secretary Kiran Gitte and other senior government officials rushed to the hospital.

Amid reports circulating on social media claiming that the police chief died by suicide, Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury called for a judicial probe into the incident.

"If a senior IPS officer commits suicide, it shows the law and order situation in the state. We demand a judicial inquiry to ascertain the actual cause of death and the circumstances that led to it," Chaudhury said.

Meanwhile, Tripura BJP president Abhishek Debroy urged restraint, saying the exact cause of death should not be speculated upon until the post-mortem report is available.

"He was found dead inside his office on Monday. A magisterial-level inquiry will be conducted into the incident. The truth will come out shortly," Debroy said.

Authorities have not officially confirmed the cause of death, and police have maintained that the findings of the post-mortem examination and the ongoing inquiry will determine the circumstances surrounding the senior IPS officer's death.

The incident has sent shockwaves through Tripura's administrative and police circles, with further details expected after the post-mortem report and official investigation.