Manzil Saini, Lucknow's First Woman SSP, Honoured With Gallantry Medal For Hostage Rescue

For IPS officer Manzil Saini, the path to policing began far from the world of law enforcement. After studying Physics and pursuing International Business, Saini spent nearly three years working in the private sector before deciding to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. She cleared the examination in her first attempt and joined the Indian Police Service in 2005, beginning a career that would take her through challenging investigations, district policing, national security assignments and high-risk operations.

Born in Delhi in 1975, Saini studied Physics at St Stephen's College before pursuing International Business at the Delhi School of Economics, where she reportedly won a gold medal. Her transition from the corporate sector to civil services marked a significant change in career direction. After clearing the UPSC examination, she was allotted the Uttar Pradesh cadre and went on to hold several policing assignments across the state, eventually becoming associated with a number of high-profile cases.

One of the notable investigations from her early career came during her posting as Assistant Superintendent of Police in Moradabad. A tip-off about an alleged illegal kidney-transplant racket led to a wider probe involving doctors and middlemen. Saini pursued the investigation across multiple locations, and a joint operation with Gurgaon Police resulted in several arrests, including doctors, according to reports. The case was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The investigation became one of the episodes that contributed to her media nickname, “Lady Singham”.

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Saini later served as Senior Superintendent of Police in districts including Muzaffarnagar, Mathura and Allahabad before becoming the first woman to head the Lucknow police as SSP in 2016. Another major chapter in her career came in 2017, when she was serving as Meerut SSP. She was part of an operation to rescue Delhi-based doctor Srikant Goud, who had been kidnapped and held for ransom. Police teams led by Saini and ADG Prashant Kumar reached the location where Goud was being held, came under fire and arrested four kidnappers before rescuing the doctor.

Her role in the hostage-rescue operation was later recognised with the Medal for Gallantry, which was conferred in 2024. Over the course of her career, Saini has also served in senior assignments outside district policing, including as Deputy Inspector General at the National Security Guard and the National Human Rights Commission. Her service record includes the Medal for Meritorious Service, Director General's Commendation Discs and the DG NSG Commendation Disc.

Saini is currently serving as Inspector General (Vigilance) in the Uttar Pradesh Police. Her career has taken her from academic and corporate life into some of the state's demanding policing assignments and later into national-level responsibilities. From clearing the UPSC examination on her first attempt to handling investigations and participating in a hostage-rescue operation, her professional journey has made her a prominent figure in the Uttar Pradesh police service and earned her the widely used “Lady Singham” nickname.

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