Tripura Director General of Police Anurag Dhankar was found dead in his office chamber at the Police Headquarters in Agartala on Monday. He was rushed to Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, where doctors made extensive efforts to revive him before declaring him dead at 12:48 pm.
Preliminary reports indicate that the senior IPS officer may have died by suicide. However, officials have not confirmed the exact circumstances of his death. Secretary to the Chief Minister Kiran Gitte said the cause and sequence of events are still under investigation.
Senior physician Dr Pradip Bhowmik said Dhankar was brought to the hospital at around noon without any pulse, blood pressure, body temperature or other vital signs.
According to Dr Bhowmik, the attending doctor immediately examined Dhankar upon arrival and found no signs of life. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated without delay in the emergency department, and a team of specialists continued resuscitation efforts for approximately 48 minutes. Despite their attempts, he could not be revived and was officially declared dead at 12:48 pm.
Regarding the cause of death, Dr Bhowmik said it could only be established after a post-mortem examination. Since Dhankar had no vital signs when he arrived at the hospital, it was not possible to determine any underlying medical condition at that stage. He added that the body was being sent for post-mortem.
Responding to questions about whether there were visible signs of hanging or other injuries, Dr Bhowmik said the medical team's immediate priority was to attempt resuscitation and that any such observations would be confirmed only through the post-mortem examination.
Following the incident, senior police officials reached the Police Headquarters, secured the premises and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Dhankar's death. Police have not yet issued an official statement, and the exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem report.
