By Firstdespatch Desk Aug 28, 2026
Agartala, Aug 28 (FD) The Opposition CPI(M) on Friday staged a protest in the well of the Tripura Legislative Assembly after Speaker Rampada Jamatia disallowed the party from raising the issue of the death of Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar.
The Opposition demanded an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Dhankar’s death, either by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court.
Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury raised the issue, referring to the suo motu statement made by Chief Minister Manik Saha in the Assembly on Thursday.
Chief Minister made a suo motu statement in the assembly yesterday regarding the DGPs death, Chaudhury said adding “We want complete transparency”.
He argued that if the government was genuinely committed to ascertaining the truth behind the death, it should constitute an SIT or entrust the investigation to a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court.
However, Speaker Rampada Jamatia said that under Rule 361, members could not initiate a discussion on matters relating to a suo motu statement and that the House was required to function within the prescribed rules.
After the microphones were switched off and the Opposition was prevented from continuing the discussion, CPI(M) legislators left their seats and entered the well of the House, raising slogans and staging a protest.
Later, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha defended the government’s decision to disclose details related to the investigation, stating that his remarks were made in the interest of the public and to ensure transparency.
The Chief Minister said that, according to the available report, the death appeared to be suicidal in nature. He also referred to the constitutional privileges enjoyed by legislators under Article 194, stating that members of the Assembly have certain privileges while discharging their legislative responsibilities.
Saha said details of the post-mortem examination could be disclosed as the post-mortem report formed part of the evidence collected during the course of a police investigation.
He explained that the government could place relevant documents, including a post-mortem report, before the Assembly when appropriate, as such documents formed part of the ongoing investigation.
The Chief Minister also maintained that in high-profile cases, the Chief Minister or Home Minister may make statements in the Assembly regarding developments in an investigation, including findings that can legally be disclosed at that stage.
The Opposition, however, remained firm in its demand for an independent probe and reiterated that the circumstances surrounding the death of the former DGP should be examined either by an SIT or by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court. FD JK