Ashish Tiwari, a 2012-batch Indian Police Service officer, is an example of how determination and clarity of purpose can reshape one’s career and life. From studying engineering at IIT Kharagpur and working in global investment banking to returning home for a career in public service, his path has been marked by discipline, focus, and a strong sense of responsibility. Today, he serves as the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, after holding leadership positions in several districts and handling some of the most sensitive assignments in recent years, including the Ayodhya Ram Mandir judgement.
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Born on August 26, 1983, in Itarsi tehsil of Narmadapuram district, Madhya Pradesh, Ashish Tiwari grew up in a railway family. His father, Kailash Narayan Tiwari, worked as a section engineer, while his mother, Saroj Tiwari, managed the household. Because of frequent transfers, his schooling moved across places—up to class 3 in Jhansi and then Kendriya Vidyalaya in Itarsi. At 15, he cleared his high school exams in 1998 with first-class marks, followed by his intermediate exams in 2000 with a first division.
Tiwari credits his parents for instilling discipline without undue pressure. “My father wanted me to become a senior officer,” he recalls. “Their advice was simple—study regularly. If you feel sleepy at night, get up early and finish your work.” Following this approach, he pursued higher studies at IIT Kharagpur, completing his BTech and MTech in Computer Science in 2007.
CAREER ABROAD AND THE CALL TO PUBLIC SERVICE
After graduation, Tiwari took up a lucrative job overseas. He joined Lehman Brothers in London as an investment banker and later moved to Nomura Bank in Japan as an expert analyst, with an even higher package. Despite the financial success, he began to feel a growing urge to contribute directly to society. “I had a good job with a big package, but I wanted to do something to help people,” he says. With his father’s support, he returned to India in 2009 to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
In 2010, he cleared the exam on his first attempt with an All-India Rank of 330, joining the Indian Revenue Service as Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax. Even during his training in Nagpur, he kept preparing, and in 2011 he secured a rank of 219, earning a place in the IPS. “When I became an IPS officer, my family’s happiness knew no bounds. My dream had come true,” he recalls.
BEGINNING OF POLICING CAREER
Tiwari’s first field posting was in Varanasi as Assistant Superintendent of Police during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was contesting. He supervised peaceful polling, investigated crimes directly on site, and used forensic analysis in several cases. Promoted to Additional SP in Varanasi, he cracked a series of important investigations.
In 2017, as Superintendent of Police in Mirzapur, his first district command, he acted firmly against liquor mafias and curbed smuggling from neighbouring districts. He also made it mandatory for police to intervene in land disputes only after magistrate orders, reducing tensions in the region. Later, he served in Etawah and Ayodhya and as SSP in Eta, Jaunpur, Ayodhya, and Firozabad. He also held responsibilities as SP in Jhansi and Varanasi, SP GRP in Jhansi and Agra, and SP Elections in Uttar Pradesh.
KEY CASES AND ASSIGNMENTS
During his tenure in Mirzapur in 2017, Tiwari investigated a double murder case near Haliya police station where two bodies—a man and a woman—were discovered. Using call detail records, his teams identified the killers: the woman’s son and his friend, who confessed to planning the murders to avoid family dishonour.
The same year, he handled an incident involving French tourists at Lakhaniya Dari waterfall, where local youths attempted harassment. Prompt police action led to eight arrests, preventing the situation from worsening.
As SSP Ayodhya in 2019, he initiated drives against crimes targeting women. His biggest challenge came when the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on the Ram Mandir case. Anticipating the sensitivity, he deployed police, PAC, and RAF forces across the district, coordinated with local organisations, and monitored social media to prevent gatherings or unrest. His team also managed high-profile visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
In May 2020, Ayodhya witnessed the murder of Baburam, a Dalit man, in Haiderganj. Tiwari’s team solved the case within six hours, arresting seven people. In August 2022, as SSP Firozabad, he led the investigation of farmer Arjun Singh’s murder, where suspicions fell on his wife. She confessed to killing him with her partner after failed attempts to poison him. Both were arrested within eight hours.
Currently in Saharanpur, IPS Ashish Tiwari exposed a large-scale fake SIM card racket linked to international cybercrimes. A complaint in December 2024 led to the discovery of a gang creating unauthorised SIMs for OTP supply to criminals in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The operation resulted in the recovery of 3,500 fake SIMs and the arrest of mastermind Vipin Kumar, among others.
Another significant assignment was his role as the founding commandant of the Special Security Force (SSF), created for metro security in Uttar Pradesh. “I prepared the entire framework and established five battalions,” he notes.
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
Alongside his policing career, Tiwari pursued higher education. He completed a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University on a full fellowship, returning to India in June 2025. In April 2025, he also won first prize at Harvard’s AI for Good Hackathon for his MEGHA (Meghalaya E-Governance Human-centred Assistance) project.
His work has been recognised nationally and internationally. He has received the IACP (USA) 40 Under 40 Global Police Leader award, the FICCI Smart Police Officer Award, the SKOCH Award, the gFiles Governance Award, multiple DGP commendations (silver, gold, and platinum), and a state award for best election practices.
PERSONAL LIFE AND A CAREER OF IMPACT
IPS Tiwari is married to Ankita Singh, now Additional Commissioner of Income Tax in Lucknow.
From managing law and order during one of the most sensitive judgements in India to dismantling international cybercrime networks, Ashish Tiwari’s career reflects a combination of field policing, systemic reforms, and continued learning. Balancing public service with academic pursuits and family, he continues to shape his role as a police leader committed to effective governance and justice.
