Seemant Kumar Singh takes charge as new Bengaluru commissioner

Bengaluru: Hours after his appointment, senior IPS officer Seemant Kumar Singh on Friday morning took charge as the new commissioner of the Bengaluru City police.

Born on August 10, 1970, Singh hails from Ranchi in Jharkhand and joined the Indian Police Service in 1996. He has served in 26 different capacities in the last three decades. He started as a probationer in Belagavi and went on to serve in Bhatkal, Coorg, Dakshina Kannada, Bijapur, Mandya, Kolar, Bellary, and other districts.

Singh had received a mid-career training program in the United Kingdom. He was awarded the President's Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2014 and for Distinguished Service in 2023.

Singh became a household name during the pandemic when the news about his efforts to arrange rations for more than one lakh migrant workers spread in the state.

In a brief interaction with a few TV reporters, Singh assured them that he would continue the good work done by his predecessors. "Will immediately discuss with my officers and will take the necessary steps (in connection with the stampede case)," Singh said.

Singh was announced as the new commissioner by the state government on Thursday night after it suspended then-commissioner B Dayananda following the death of 11 people during a stampede at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.