Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha promised an impartial investigation into the death of DGP Anurag Dhankar during an August 27 Assembly session. The government intends to ignore speculation. They will rely on hard forensic evidence instead.
Dhankar arrived at the State Police Headquarters on July 20 at 10:12 pm. He took a salute and told his orderly to leave him alone until 11 am. He locked himself inside the changing room connected to his washroom. When he failed to appear, DIGP Pranab Majumder and other staff tried to reach him. They eventually brought in a carpenter to force the locked door open. They found the DGP hanging.
Medics at GB Pant Hospital declared him dead at 12:48 pm. West Agartala Police filed an Unnatural Death case. The West District SP, Crime Branch, and IGP of Law and Order are managing the ongoing inquiry. Forensic experts have already submitted their findings. Investigators have seized various materials and employed scientific methods to track the truth.
The post-mortem report points to suicide by hanging. Despite this, Saha insisted that every piece of evidence requires review before a final conclusion. "Bank transactions, documentary evidence, forensic reports, electronic evidence and other relevant materials are being examined. We have also sent evidence outside the state for further investigation," Saha said. The state government views the loss as an unfortunate and painful event.
Updated at 28th August 2026 at 2:00pm
The political pressure hit a boiling point on Friday, August 28, when the CPI(M) opposition staged a protest in the well of the Assembly. Opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury pushed for an independent inquiry led by a Special Investigation Team or a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court. He argued that a case involving the state's top cop demands a level of transparency that goes beyond government-led updates.
Speaker Rampada Jamatia shut down the debate by citing Rule 361, which bars discussion on suo motu statements delivered to the House. When officials cut the microphones, opposition members left their seats to swarm the well of the floor with slogans. CM Manik Saha defended his earlier briefing as a necessary move to keep the public informed. He insisted that detailing the post-mortem findings remains a standard procedure for high-profile cases involving evidence that can legally be made public.
Updated at 28th August 2026 at 5:51pm
During the session, CM Saha invoked Article 194 to defend his actions. He argued the law grants legislators specific privileges while performing their duties, allowing his government to disclose evidence like the post-mortem report when deemed appropriate. He maintained that high-profile investigations often require the Chief Minister or Home Minister to release details to the public that are legally permissible to share.
Opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury countered by stating his party had hoped the government would treat such a high-stakes matter with total transparency. He pressed for an inquiry led by a sitting Tripura High Court judge or a dedicated Special Investigation Team to get to the truth.
Updated at 28th August 2026 at 10:05pm
The political heat reached a breaking point Friday as CPI(M) legislators stormed the well of the House. They demanded the government bypass standard police work in favor of a probe led by an SIT or a sitting Tripura High Court judge. The chaos erupted after Speaker Rampada Jamatia shut down attempts to debate the matter, citing Rule 361 to block discussion on the Chief Minister's earlier statement.
As protests erupted, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman jumped into the fray, challenging the government's right to air findings like the post-mortem report before the investigation concludes. Saha fired back, holding his ground on his authority to make suo motu statements. He argued that keeping the public in the dark regarding high-profile cases serves no one and that the government remains fully committed to its version of transparency.
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