Since the rain wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh, Mandi’s Superintendent of Police Soumya Sambasivan came to the limelight once again for carrying out the successful evacuation of locals who were not willing to leave their houses. However, do you know that Sambasivan was once a banking professional and is known for her strict discipline in the police department?
Who Is Soumya Sambasivan?
Soumya Sambasivan is a 2010-batch IPS officer. She was born in Palakkad town of Kerala. Since her father worked as an engineer with the Indian Army, she completed her early education at various schools. She did her graduation in Biotechnology from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore and PGDBA in Marketing and Finance from ICFAI, Hyderabad. After completing her PGDBA, she worked with a multinational bank as an investment banker for about three years.
Investment Banker To IPS
During her corporate journey, Soumya Sambasivan got bored easily and realised that she was not meant for the role. She then packed her bag and decided to crack the Union Public Service Commission exam. Since joining the IPS, she has worked with several departments including the 3rd IRB (India Reserve Battalion), CID and went on to become the Shimla’s first female IPS officer. During this stint, her video went viral where she was seen training young women from Sirmaur district self-protection tips and manufacturing pepper spray.
Solving Blind Cases
Sambasivan has played a crucial role in cracking the drug mafia network besides solving several blind cases. Her name was also nominated for the President’s Medal. During her posting in the Sirmaur district, she solved a blind murder case with her wisdom and eye for the details. Then, the police found a body whose identity could not be traced. In Sambasivan’s words, the body looked like that of a Hindu lady by the looks as she had bindi and vermilion on her forehead. When no one claimed the body, it was cremated as per Hindu rites and the ashes were preserved. However, during the investigation, when Sambasivan took a close look at the photo of the victim, she realised that the lady had got her eyebrows plucked recently.
Sambasivan then ordered her team to circulate the photograph in all the beauty salons in the area. The idea worked and one of the salon owners recognised her and the police were able to locate her house. It turned out that the deceased was not a Hindu woman but a Muslim and was killed by her husband only. Police later came to know that she was a bar dancer.
Despite solving the case, Sambasivan felt bad about her last rites and then her team requested a maulvi to perform the last rites of her remains but maulvi refused. Then, Sambasivan herself went to a graveyard and did her last rites.
Slapped An MLA
Soumya Sambasivam also did a great job in curbing drugs, liquor and human trafficking. It is said that during a protest in 2006, Soumya asked an MLA to move away, but he refused. It was said in many media reports at that time that Soumya Sambasivam had slapped the MLA for obstructing police from doing their duty.
Soumya Sambasivan is very close to her parents, especially her mother. She loves to write poems when free.
