Baghpat (UP): Director General of Tripura Police (DGP) Anurag was cremated with full state honours at his ancestral town of Baraut in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district on Wednesday, officials said.
Anurag’s 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.
Before the cremation, the Uttar Pradesh Police accorded a ceremonial guard of honour to Anurag, a 1994 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Tripura cadre, in recognition of his distinguished service.
A funeral procession covering nearly one kilometre was taken out before the last rites, with more than 500 people, including serving and retired police personnel from Tripura and Uttar Pradesh, administrative officials, residents, family members and well wishers, participating to pay their final respects.
The 60 year old widely respected police officer hailed from Biharipur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district. Accompanied by family members and senior police officials, Anurag’s mortal remains were flown from Tripura to his residence on Gandhi Road in Baraut shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
From Wednesday morning, a large number of people from different sections of society gathered at his residence to pay their last respects. Ministers, senior police and civil administration officials, elected representatives and residents offered floral tributes with tearful eyes.
Anurag’s body was found under mysterious circumstances in the washroom attached to his official chamber at the State Police Headquarters in Agartala on Monday (July 20).
Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu, Chief Minister Manik Saha, several state ministers, Chief Secretary Jitendra Kumar Sinha, Home Secretary Abhishek Singh, acting Director General of Police G.S. Rao, and many senior civil, police and security officials paid their last respects to Anurag in Agartala on Tuesday.
After paying tributes, Chief Minister Manik Saha said the state had lost an honest, efficient and dedicated police officer whose commitment to public safety and maintaining law and order would always be remembered.
According to police officials, after Anurag was found hanging in the washroom attached to his official chamber at the Police Headquarters on Monday morning, he was immediately rushed to the Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Acting Director General of Police G.S. Rao on Tuesday said a separate investigation team is likely to be constituted to probe Anurag’s “unnatural death”. He said that while a routine inquiry has already been initiated, a dedicated investigation team is expected to conduct a detailed probe into the circumstances surrounding the death.
Meanwhile, the opposition CPI (M), the Congress and several other political parties have demanded a judicial inquiry, monitored by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court, to ascertain the circumstances and reasons behind the death of the state’s senior most IPS officer.
Several Tripura ministers led by Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath, former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Leader of Opposition Jitendra Choudhury, former minister and Tripura Left Front Convener Manik Dey, and former minister, Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Sudip Roy Barman and state Congress President Ashish Kumar Saha also visited the hospital on Monday to offer condolences and meet the bereaved family.
Anurag took charge as Tripura’s Director General of Police on May 17, 2025, succeeding Amitabh Ranjan, a 1988 batch IPS officer. Before assuming charge as the DGP, Anurag served as Director General of Police (Intelligence), Tripura.
During his more than three decade long career, he served as Sub Divisional Police Officer of Longtharai Valley in 1995 and later as Superintendent of Police of the erstwhile undivided West and South Tripura districts. He also held the posts of Superintendent of Police (Special Branch) and Assistant Inspector General of Police (Headquarters).
During 2003 04, Anurag served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. Between 2005 and 2013, he was on central deputation, serving as Joint Director and Additional Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
After returning to Tripura, he served as Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) from 2013 to 2016. From 2016 to 2023, he was again on central deputation, serving as Inspector General (Research and Correctional Administration) in the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), Inspector General (Personnel) in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and later as Joint Director and Additional Director in the CBI.
Anurag also served as Chairman of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to probe the 1984 anti Sikh riots. He was awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
On September 18, 2023, Anurag assumed charge as Tripura’s Additional Director General of Police and was subsequently assigned the Law and Order wing. He was promoted and appointed Director General of Police (Intelligence), with additional charge of Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), with effect from January 2024. His tenure in service was scheduled to end in June 2028.
(IANS)
