IPS Nupur Prasad, who led Sushant Singh Rajput CBI probe, to get President's Medal

Senior IPS officer Nupur Prasad has been selected for the President's Medal for Distinguished Service. The honour highlights her high-profile CBI tenure, including supervision of the Sushant Singh Rajput death probe.

In Short

• Prasad recently returned to Delhi Police as Joint Commissioner in EOW
• The citation praises her versatility, integrity and institutional vision across postings
• CBI took over Rajput's death case in August 2020 after controversy

Senior IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who supervised the CBI investigation into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has been selected for the prestigious President’s Medal for Distinguished Service this year.

Prasad, a 2007-batch AGMUT-cadre IPS officer, recently completed her tenure with the Central Bureau of Investigation and returned to the Delhi Police. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The award citation describes Prasad as an “accomplished officer” and a leader known for “versatility, integrity and institutional vision”. It highlights her work across the Delhi Police, CBI, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh, including several high-profile investigations and major policing initiatives.

ROLE IN SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT DEATH PROBE

Prasad’s role in the Sushant Singh Rajput investigation was among the most prominent assignments of her CBI tenure.

Rajput, 34, was found dead at his Bandra residence in Mumbai on June 14, 2020. The Mumbai Police initially registered an accidental death case and investigated the circumstances surrounding his death.

The case took a major turn after Rajput’s father, K K Singh, filed an FIR in Patna against actress Rhea Chakraborty and others, alleging abetment to suicide, financial wrongdoing and harassment.

Following the legal and political controversy surrounding the jurisdiction of the investigation, the CBI took over the case in August 2020.

The investigation continued for nearly five years and involved examination of witnesses, scrutiny of medical and forensic evidence and investigation of allegations of murder, abetment to suicide and other suspected wrongdoing.

The case generated intense public and media scrutiny, with several theories circulating on social media and television, including allegations of poisoning and strangulation.

In March 2025, the CBI filed closure reports before courts in Mumbai and Patna, stating that its investigation had found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in Rajput’s death.

DISTINGUISHED POLICING CAREER

The President’s Medal citation highlights Prasad’s work across several challenging assignments.

As the first DCP of Shahdara, she was tasked with establishing the district’s policing framework from the ground up. During her tenure, she led action against drug networks and gambling operations and worked to make Anand Vihar a “snatching-free zone”.

As DCP, North District, Prasad oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Delhi University elections and Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.

She also spearheaded community-oriented initiatives, including women’s self-defence training, hygiene camps in collaboration with the Ladli Foundation, youth skill-development programmes and drug de-addiction initiatives with SPYM.

Her career also includes significant assignments outside Delhi. In West Bengal, she handled security arrangements during the 2011 Assembly elections and the Ganga Sagar Mela.

As Superintendent of Police in Arunachal Pradesh, she worked to restore inter-tribal peace and dismantle extortion networks.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO POLICING REFORMS

During her CBI tenure, Prasad supervised some of the agency’s significant cases, including the AgustaWestland investigation and the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

She also contributed to the CBI Crime Manual 2020 and the agency’s Vision Document. She was associated with preparations for the Interpol General Assembly 2022 and the G20 Cyber Conference.

After returning to the Delhi Police, Prasad introduced the MyKase software for trial monitoring while serving in the Economic Offences Wing.

She also contributed to the Bureau of Police Research and Development’s National Police Mission, Micro Mission.

PRESIDENT’S MEDAL FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE

The President’s Medal for Distinguished Service is among the highest service honours conferred on police personnel.

Prasad’s selection recognises a career spanning investigation, law-and-order policing, community outreach, institutional reform and assignments in some of the country’s most challenging security environments.

Her supervision of the Sushant Singh Rajput investigation remains one of the most high-profile assignments of her CBI tenure, with the agency ultimately concluding that there was no evidence of foul play in the actor’s death.

- Ends