Nashik/Panchkula: In a heartbreaking development, 2012-batch Haryana cadre IPS officer Smiti Chaudhary passed away early Friday morning in Nashik, Maharashtra. She was 48. The senior officer had been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness and was on medical leave.
She breathed her last at 6 a.m. in a Nashik hospital.
Smiti had traveled to Nashik to be with her husband, Rajesh Kumar, who is also an IPS officer currently serving as Director of the Maharashtra Police Academy (MPA). Her sudden demise has sent waves of sorrow throughout the police force and civil services across India.
A Decorated Career in Law Enforcement
IPS Smiti began her career in policing on January 6, 2004, as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the Haryana Police. Her first assignment was with the Anti-Corruption Bureau, reflecting early on her commitment to integrity and public accountability.
Over the years, she held key positions including-
- DSP, Panchkula (2006–2010)
- DSP, Flying Squad (2010–2011)
- DSP, Lokayukta Office (2011–2014)
On July 22, 2014, she was promoted to Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) and later inducted into the Indian Police Service (IPS) on February 28, 2017, retrospectively assigned to the 2012 batch under the selection list of 2015.
She served as:–
- SP, State Vigilance Bureau (2017–2018)
- SP, Charkhi Dadri (2018–2019)
- SP, CM Flying Squad (2019)
- Commandant, 1st Battalion, Haryana Armed Police (2019–2021)
- SP, Law & Order Branch, Police Headquarters (2021–2023)
- SP, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Ambala (2023–2025)
In February 2025, the state government had cleared her promotion to selection grade, effective January 1, 2025, entitling her to pay scale Level-13. Sadly, she passed away before officially taking on the new grade.
Roots in Service: A Family of Officers
Smiti hailed from Doomarkhan Kalan village in Jind, Haryana. Born on August 15, 1976, her life was deeply embedded in the ethos of public service. Her mother, Jayawanti Sheokand, was a senior IAS officer. Her brother, Yashendra, is also in the IAS. She married Rajesh Kumar, a fellow IPS officer, in 1998, and the couple had been residing in Panchkula.
Smiti’s extended family also boasts a long lineage of distinguished public servants, ranging from retired colonels, senior bureaucrats, IRS officers, to educationists and doctors. Her grandfather, Chaudhary Basant Singh, was the patriarch of a family deeply invested in India’s administrative and military services.
Tributes and Mourning
The news of her passing triggered an outpouring of grief across official circles. Colleagues remembered her as a hardworking, ethical, and compassionate officer. Social media was flooded with condolences from senior IPS and IAS officers, as well as messages from those who had worked under or alongside her.
One of the memorable moments from her time as SP in Ambala was her meeting with Indian wrestling legend The Great Khali, reflecting her connection to the public and her high profile in the region.
Her last rites were conducted in Nashik, where she had been hospitalized. As per family sources, her funeral was attended by close relatives and colleagues from the police forces of both Haryana and Maharashtra.
A Legacy of Duty and Grace
Smiti’s career was marked by steadfast integrity, a sharp administrative acumen, and a tireless commitment to upholding the law. Her legacy as an officer continues through the lives she touched and the institutions she helped strengthen.
Her loss is not just to the police department but to the broader fabric of Indian public administration, where officers like her serve silently but significantly.
