Tripura DGP Anurag death: Congress demands High Court-monitored probe
Synopsis
A serving DGP found dead in his own office washroom — and the Tripura government is resisting calls for a court-supervised probe. Congress and Left parties allege murder and cover-up, while a police-led three-member team is all that stands between a high-profile death and accountability. The pressure on Chief Minister Manik Saha is building fast.
Key Takeaways
The body of Tripura DGP Anurag , a 1994-batch IPS officer , was found in his official chamber washroom at the State Police Headquarters, Agartala on 20 July .
Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman on 27 July reiterated demands for a judicial inquiry monitored by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court .
The Tripura Police formed a three-member team led by SP Namit Pathak on 24 July to probe the death — which Congress and Left parties have called inadequate.
Congress has alleged the death was 'a deep-rooted conspiracy' and 'a case of murder,' not suicide.
Opposition parties including CPI-M and CPI have also demanded a High Court-supervised probe, with both Left and Congress having held separate protest rallies.
Anurag's tenure as DGP was to run until 17 May 2027 ; he had earlier led the SIT probing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots .
Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and former Tripura Minister Sudip Roy Barman on Sunday, 27 July renewed his party's demand for a judicial inquiry into the death of serving Director General of Police Anurag, insisting the probe must be monitored by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court. The Congress leader alleged the death was 'a deep-rooted conspiracy and not a mere case of suicide,' and accused the state government of suppressing facts.
How Anurag Died
The body of Anurag, a 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Tripura cadre, was discovered under what officials have described as mysterious circumstances in the washroom attached to his official chamber at the State Police Headquarters in Agartala on 20 July. He had taken charge as Tripura's DGP on 17 May 2025, succeeding Amitabh Ranjan, a 1988-batch IPS officer, and his tenure was scheduled to run until 17 May 2027.
He was cremated with full state honours on 22 July at his ancestral town of Baraut in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district. His son, Abhishek, lit the funeral pyre at the cremation ground near Bawli Chungi on the Delhi-Saharanpur Highway, in the presence of family members, senior police officers, and hundreds of mourners.
The Police Probe and Congress's Objections
On 24 July, the Tripura Police constituted a three-member inquiry team led by West Tripura Superintendent of Police Namit Pathak to investigate the death. Congress has rejected this as insufficient. Roy Barman, who is also a Congress MLA, questioned why Chief Minister Manik Saha's government was reluctant to order a High Court-monitored judicial inquiry.
'What is the problem in ordering a judicial inquiry by a sitting High Court judge? If the government has nothing to hide, it should not hesitate to order such a probe,' Roy Barman said while addressing the media.
He was accompanied by Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee President Ashish Kumar Saha and senior party leader Prasanta Sen Chowdhury. The Congress leaders also urged the Tripura High Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter, noting that the court had not initiated such proceedings despite several serious incidents in the recent past.
Opposition Parties Unite on Judicial Probe Demand
The demand for a High Court-monitored inquiry is not limited to Congress. The opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), the Communist Party of India (CPI), and several other political parties have separately called for the same. Left parties and Congress had earlier organised independent protest rallies in Tripura pressing for a judicially supervised investigation.
'We believe it is a case of murder. The people of the state, as well as police personnel and other government officials, want the truth behind the death of serving DGP Anurag to come out,' Roy Barman said, adding that suppression of the matter would 'inevitably raise questions' against the Saha government.
Anurag's Distinguished Career
Anurag had a distinguished career spanning central and international assignments. He served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and held senior roles including Joint Director and Additional Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He also served in the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Notably, he led the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Prior to becoming DGP, he served as Tripura's Director General of Police (Intelligence).
With opposition pressure mounting and multiple parties demanding court oversight, the Tripura government faces growing calls to either escalate the probe or explain its reluctance to do so.
Point of View
And that silence is itself becoming the story.
NationPress
26 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Tripura DGP Anurag die?
DGP Anurag's body was found under mysterious circumstances in the washroom attached to his official chamber at the State Police Headquarters in Agartala on 20 July. The exact cause of death has not been officially confirmed, and opposition parties have alleged it was not a suicide.
What probe has been ordered into DGP Anurag's death?
The Tripura Police constituted a three-member inquiry team on 24 July, led by West Tripura Superintendent of Police Namit Pathak. Congress and Left parties have rejected this as insufficient and are demanding a judicial inquiry monitored by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court.
Why is Congress demanding a High Court-monitored inquiry?
Congress alleges the death was 'a deep-rooted conspiracy' and 'a case of murder,' not suicide. The party argues that a police-led probe lacks independence and that the state government's reluctance to order judicial oversight suggests an attempt to suppress facts.
Who was DGP Anurag and what was his background?
Anurag was a 1994-batch IPS officer of the Tripura cadre who took charge as the state's DGP on 17 May 2025. He had a distinguished career including stints as Joint Director and Additional Director in the CBI, service with the UN Mission in Kosovo, and leadership of the SIT probing the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Which other parties have backed the demand for a judicial probe?
Beyond Congress, the CPI-M, CPI, and several other opposition parties have independently demanded a High Court-monitored judicial inquiry. Both Left parties and Congress had earlier held separate protest rallies in Tripura pressing for court-supervised investigation.
