DCP Zone I Rushikesh Singareddy gets Union Home Minister’s Medal for exposing terrorist network  

 

A MURDER at a Gurudwara in Nanded appeared to be a blind case, with police having a few clues about the shooter or the people behind the attack. But Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rushikesh Singareddy’s technical skills and focused investigation helped crack the case in just 20 days. The probe also exposed links to Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda and the banned organisation Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). Singareddy has been selected for the Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation for his role in solving the case. He was then serving as Superintendent of Police (SP) with the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He is now posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone 1, in Nagpur. Singareddy, a native of Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, graduated from IIT Delhi with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

 

He cleared the UPSC examination and joined the Indian Police Service in 2020. The incident took place on February 10, 2025, at around 9 am. An unidentified gunman opened fire on two men at a Gurudwara in Nanded. Ravindrasingh Dayalsingh Rathod died in the firing, while Gurmitsingh Sevalal suffered serious injuries. The investigation revealed that Gurmitsingh had been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering the brother of Rinda. The attack was planned to take revenge on him. However, the bullet hit Rathod, killing him. The Wazirabad police initially registered the case. The ATS later took over the investigation because of its seriousness and suspected terror links. Singareddy and his team used technical information to identify the suspects, trace their contacts and track their movements. The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) helped connect different pieces of information and identify people linked to the attack. The team also worked closely with the Punjab Police and intelligence agencies.

 

Police identified 14 accused and arrested 10, including the person who carried out the shooting. Four others, including Rinda and Happy Pasia, are believed to be abroad. Look-Out Circulars were issued against them.Police also seized weapons, ammunition, vehicles and mobile phones linked to the crime. The ATS recently filed a charge sheet of around 12,000 pages, divided into 20 volumes, against nine accused in a Nanded court. Teams from Nanded, Nagpur, Akola and ChhatrapatiSambhajinagar worked on the case. The Punjab Police and National Investigation Agency (NIA) also assisted in the investigation.