Agartala: The Congress on Sunday renewed its demand for a High Court-monitored judicial inquiry into the death of former Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag, with senior party leader Sudip Roy Barman alleging that the circumstances surrounding the senior IPS officer’s death were suspicious.
The body of Anurag, a 1994-batch IPS officer of the Tripura cadre, was found inside the washroom attached to his official chamber at the State Police Headquarters in Agartala on July 20.
Congress Questions State Government’s Stand
Addressing the media, Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and MLA Sudip Roy Barman questioned why the state government was reluctant to order a judicial inquiry monitored by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court.
He alleged that the incident appeared to be a “deep-rooted conspiracy” rather than a case of suicide and urged the government to ensure an independent investigation.
Roy Barman also appealed to the Tripura High Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter, stating that the death of the state’s senior-most police officer was a matter of public concern rather than a political issue.
Three-Member Police Team Investigating Case
On July 24, the Tripura Police constituted a three-member investigation team, led by West Tripura Superintendent of Police Namit Pathak, to probe the circumstances surrounding Anurag’s death.
The Congress leader alleged that the government’s reluctance to order a judicial inquiry could raise questions about transparency and called for the truth behind the incident to be brought before the public.
Opposition Parties Seek Independent Inquiry
The CPI(M), CPI and several other opposition parties have also demanded a judicial inquiry monitored by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court. Both the Left parties and the Congress have held separate protest rallies seeking an independent investigation.
Anurag took charge as Tripura DGP on May 17, 2025, succeeding Amitabh Ranjan. Before becoming the state’s police chief, he served as Director General of Police (Intelligence).
During his career, Anurag served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and held key positions in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He also headed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
His tenure as Tripura DGP was scheduled to continue until May 17, 2027.