Agartala, July 28: Senior advocate Sankar Lodh on Tuesday said the facts available so far in the death of Tripura Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Dhankar do not indicate the legal ingredients necessary to invoke charges of abetment to suicide. He also pointed out that no complaint alleging abetment has been filed by the deceased officer’s family.
Addressing the media, Lodh explained that under criminal law, a charge of abetment to suicide requires specific legal elements, including evidence of instigation and the presence of mens rea (guilty mind) on the part of the accused.
“A simple suicide can never be treated as abetment to suicide. There has to be clear evidence of instigation, and the accused must have had prior knowledge that his actions would drive the victim to take the extreme step,” he said.
Referring to the ongoing investigation into the DGP’s death, Lodh said police have registered an Unnatural Death (UD) case and the probe is currently underway. He noted that no First Information Report (FIR) alleging abetment to suicide has been filed so far.
He further observed that if the DGP’s wife or son believed someone had instigated him to commit suicide, they could have filed a complaint. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), a Zero FIR can be registered anywhere in the country irrespective of jurisdiction. “No such complaint has been lodged till date,” he added.
Lodh said the investigation, which initially began under a sub-inspector, has now been expanded with the involvement of senior officers, including the West Tripura Superintendent of Police, an Additional Superintendent of Police, and a 10-member Special Investigation Team.
He urged people to allow the investigation to reach its logical conclusion, saying that if evidence of murder or abetment to suicide emerges during the probe, an FIR can subsequently be registered.
Citing two recent suicide-related cases in Tripura, including one involving a delivery worker in Dharmanagar and another concerning a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, Lodh said the Tripura High Court had observed that the essential ingredients of abetment to suicide were not sufficiently established while considering bail petitions.
Commenting on the Opposition CPI(M) and Congress demand for a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge, Lodh said there was “nothing wrong” with such a demand. However, he maintained that the ongoing police investigation should be allowed to conclude before drawing conclusions. He said the police report would ultimately be submitted before the magistrate, where any shortcomings could be examined in accordance with the law.
Tripura Police are investigating the death of DGP Anurag Dhankar, who was found hanging in the washroom of his official chamber on July 20. The state government has maintained that the investigation is being conducted strictly in accordance with legal procedures.
