Who Is IPS Manzil Saini? From Corporate Career to UP Police Officer Who Won Gallantry Medal
Manzil Saini, a 2005-batch Uttar Pradesh-cadre IPS officer, has built a career spanning district policing, central deputation and senior assignments in the UP Police. She was awarded the Medal for Gallantry for her role in the 2017 rescue of a kidnapped Delhi doctor during an armed operation in Meerut.
ucknow: Manzil Saini’s journey into the Indian Police Service took an unusual route. Before joining the IPS, she spent around three years working in the corporate sector after completing her studies in physics and international business. She later cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2005 and joined the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
Over the years, Saini has handled a range of demanding assignments in Uttar Pradesh, including district policing and investigations involving serious organised crime. She also served on central deputation, taking up responsibilities with institutions including the National Security Guard and the National Human Rights Commission.
Her service career includes several notable episodes. Among them was her association with the investigation into the Amit Kumar kidney-racket case during her early years in the UP Police.
Another major moment came in 2017, when she was serving as Senior Superintendent of Police in Meerut and was involved in an armed operation to rescue a kidnapped doctor. The operation later became the basis for the President’s Medal for Gallantry awarded to Saini and senior police officer Prashant Kumar.
From Physics at St Stephen’s to the IPS
Manzil Saini was born in Delhi in September 1975. She studied Physics at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, before moving on to the Delhi School of Economics for a master’s degree in International Business.
According to reports cited in the source material, she was a gold medallist during her postgraduate studies. Her academic background was therefore quite different from the conventional image of a career beginning directly in public administration or policing.
After completing her studies, Saini worked in the corporate sector for around three years. She subsequently decided to appear for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, eventually clearing the examination in 2005 and entering the Indian Police Service.
She was recruited into the IPS on August 22, 2005, with Uttar Pradesh allotted as her cadre. Her subsequent career would take her through district policing, specialised assignments and central deputation before bringing her back to senior responsibilities in the UP Police.
Early Career and the Amit Kumar Kidney Racket Investigation
One of the cases that brought attention to Saini during her early years in the Uttar Pradesh Police was the investigation into the Amit Kumar kidney-racket case. The illegal kidney-transplant network came to light in the mid-2000s and subsequently became a major criminal investigation.
Reports have credited Saini with playing a role in pursuing the case while she was serving as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Moradabad. The investigation required coordination with other police units and eventually came under the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The case became one of the significant episodes associated with Saini’s early policing career. Her involvement in such an investigation helped establish her profile within the state police system at a relatively early stage of her service.
First Woman to Head Lucknow Police as SSP
Saini subsequently served as Senior Superintendent of Police in several important districts of Uttar Pradesh. Her postings included Muzaffarnagar, Mathura, Allahabad and Meerut.
Her career reached another notable milestone in 2016, when she became the first woman to serve as SSP of Lucknow, according to multiple reports. The assignment was significant because the Lucknow police chief is responsible for policing in the state capital, which has a particularly important administrative and political role in Uttar Pradesh.
Her career later expanded beyond conventional district policing. Saini served on central deputation and took up assignments including Deputy Inspector General with the National Security Guard and responsibilities at the National Human Rights Commission.These postings added specialised security and human-rights experience to her background in district policing.
2017 Meerut Operation That Led to Gallantry Medal
One of the most important chapters in Saini’s career came in July 2017, when a Delhi-based doctor, Dr Srikant Goud, was kidnapped and held for ransom. At the time, Saini was serving as SSP Meerut, while Prashant Kumar was the Additional Director General of Police for the Meerut Zone.
Following information about the doctor’s captivity, police teams moved to a location in Shatabdi Nagar, Meerut. The official Gazette citation records that the police team came under fire from the kidnappers during the operation.
Despite the firing, the team continued with the rescue effort. Four kidnappers, identified in the citation as Pramod, Amit, Nepal and Sohanvir, were arrested. The police also recovered illegal firearms from them, according to the official citation.
Most importantly, the kidnapped doctor was rescued during the operation. The encounter and rescue operation took place on July 19, 2017. The President subsequently approved the Medal for Gallantry for Saini and Prashant Kumar in recognition of their conduct during the operation. Although the operation took place in 2017, the award was eventually conferred in 2024, adding one of the most significant service recognitions to Saini’s career record.
What the Official Citation Records
The official gallantry citation provides the key details of the rescue operation. It records that Saini was the SSP of Meerut at the time, while Prashant Kumar was serving as ADG, Meerut Zone.
After the police received information about the kidnapped doctor’s location, the team proceeded to Shatabdi Nagar. The operation involved direct confrontation with the kidnappers, who opened fire at the police team.
The police continued the operation despite the firing and succeeded in arresting the four accused and rescuing the doctor. The citation identifies the accused by name and records the seizure of illegal firearms. The President’s approval of the Medal for Gallantry for Saini and Prashant Kumar followed the operation, with the award eventually being presented in 2024.
Return to Uttar Pradesh Police
Following her central deputation, Saini returned to the Uttar Pradesh Police and was posted as IG/Vigilance, Lucknow, in February 2024. The Uttar Pradesh Police database currently lists her as an Inspector General and records the Medal for Gallantry, GM-26/01/2024, among her service decorations.
Her current profile reflects a career that has moved through several different areas of policing and public administration. From district-level policing and major investigations to specialised central assignments and vigilance responsibilities, Saini has handled positions with different operational and administrative demands.
Other Service Decorations and Recognition
The Gallantry Medal is not the only recognition recorded in Saini’s service profile. Her service decorations also include the Medal for Meritorious Service. She has additionally received several Uttar Pradesh Police Director General’s Commendation Discs as well as the DG NSG’s Commendation Disc. These recognitions form part of a service career that has included both field policing and assignments in specialised institutions.
A Career Spanning Corporate Life, Policing and Central Deputation
Manzil Saini’s professional journey has moved across several distinct phases. She began with academic training in physics and international business, spent around three years in the corporate sector and then entered public service through the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
After joining the IPS in 2005, she served in several Uttar Pradesh districts and became the first woman SSP of Lucknow. Her career also included involvement in a major kidney-racket investigation and the 2017 Meerut hostage-rescue operation that later resulted in the Medal for Gallantry.
Her central deputation assignments with the NSG and NHRC added another dimension to her experience before she returned to the Uttar Pradesh Police. Today, as an Inspector General in the UP Police and with the Gallantry Medal among her service decorations, Saini’s career reflects a progression from corporate work to frontline policing, specialised central assignments and senior administrative responsibilities within the state police.
