The investigation into the mysterious death of Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag has gathered momentum, with the state police expanding the Special Investigation Team (SIT) from three to ten members to ensure a comprehensive and time-bound probe, officials said on Monday.

Anurag, a 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Tripura cadre, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the washroom attached to his official chamber at the state police headquarters in Agartala on July 20.

According to senior police officials, the acting Director General of Police had initially constituted a three-member investigation team on July 24 under the leadership of West Tripura Superintendent of Police Namit Pathak. The team has now been expanded to ten members to strengthen the investigation.

The reconstituted team includes Additional Superintendent of Police (Urban), West Tripura, Dhruba Nath; the Officers-in-Charge of Cyber Crime Police Station, Amtali Police Station, West Agartala Women Police Station, and the Battala and Ramnagar police outposts. An Inspector from the KTD Singh Police Training Academy and the previous Investigating Officer, Subhojit Deb, have also been inducted into the team.

An official order stated that the expanded investigation team would function in a coordinated manner while ensuring confidentiality, professionalism and impartiality throughout the probe.

To monitor the progress of the investigation, the order mandates daily morning briefing sessions to review developments, assign responsibilities and formulate investigative strategies. Evening debriefing meetings will assess the day's progress, evaluate completed tasks, identify gaps in the investigation and plan the next course of action.

Investigating officers have also been directed to execute assigned responsibilities promptly while maintaining close coordination with other members of the team. Daily progress reports detailing evidence collected, technical analysis conducted and proposed future actions must be submitted to the Superintendent of Police, West Tripura, for continuous supervision. In addition, a consolidated weekly progress report will be submitted every Saturday to the Inspector General of Police (Law and Order).

Meanwhile, the demand for a judicial probe into the death has continued to intensify.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and former Tripura minister Sudip Roy Barman on Sunday reiterated the party's demand for a judicial inquiry monitored by a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court.

Describing the incident as a matter of national concern rather than a political issue, Roy Barman said the death of the state's senior-most police officer had raised serious questions. He alleged that the circumstances surrounding Anurag's death were highly suspicious and claimed the case appeared to be one of murder. He further asserted that the people of Tripura, including police personnel and government employees, deserved to know the truth, warning that any attempt by the state government to suppress the matter would invite serious public scrutiny.

The CPI(M), CPI and several other opposition parties have also demanded a judicial inquiry under the supervision of a sitting judge of the Tripura High Court. Both the Left parties and the Congress have already organized separate protest rallies across the state, pressing for a High Court-monitored judicial investigation.

Anurag was cremated with full state honours at his ancestral town of Baraut in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district on July 22. His son, Abhishek, performed the last rites in the presence of family members, senior police officers and hundreds of mourners.

He had assumed charge as Tripura's Director General of Police on May 17, 2025, succeeding Amitabh Ranjan. Before becoming the state's police chief, Anurag served as Director General of Police (Intelligence).

During his distinguished career, Anurag also served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and held several key assignments in central agencies, including as Joint Director and Additional Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), besides serving in the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

The senior IPS officer also led the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

His tenure as Tripura Director General of Police was scheduled to continue until May 17, 2027.