A differently-abled woman, Neetu Dwivedi, travelled around 25 km with her daughter to meet Kanpur Dehat Superintendent of Police (SP) Shraddha Narendra Pandey after the officer helped resolve her household water-supply problem. Neetu had reportedly struggled to get the issue addressed, but after her complaint reached Pandey, she intervened with the concerned authorities and the supply was restored. Neetu later met the officer to express her gratitude, hugging her and breaking down in tears.
The encounter has drawn attention to Pandey’s people-focused approach to public service, while her own journey to the IPS was marked by setbacks, including being unable to clear the medical round after securing All India Rank 4 in the 2011 CDS examination. Today, she is a 2017-batch IPS officer and serves as SP of Kanpur Dehat.
A Complaint Turns Emotional
For Neetu, the return of water was about more than a functioning tap. Living with a disability can make everyday tasks, including arranging water from elsewhere, considerably more difficult. After her problem was taken up and the supply was restored, she travelled with her daughter to meet Pandey in person.
The meeting reportedly became emotional as Neetu hugged the SP and cried tears of relief and gratitude. Her response offered a glimpse into how a seemingly routine civic problem can carry a much heavier burden for families when access to basic services becomes difficult.
Listening Beyond Police Duties
The episode also highlights an important dimension of citizen-facing governance: many problems people bring to public offices do not neatly fit within one department. While restoring a water connection is not a conventional policing function, Pandey’s intervention helped move Neetu’s complaint towards the authorities responsible for the service.
This is not simply about an officer stepping outside her formal remit; it is about ensuring that a citizen’s grievance does not stop at the first institutional door. That approach has featured in other reports about Pandey’s interactions with residents. In one grievance hearing, she was reported to have sat on the ground beside a woman while listening to her complaint and directed officials to take action.
Setbacks Shaped Her Journey
Pandey’s own path to the IPS was far from straightforward. Born in Mumbai in 1986, she holds an M.Tech in Biotechnology and previously worked in the insurance sector and the Indian Corporate Law Service. She initially aspired to join the armed forces and appeared for the Combined Defence Services examination in 2011, securing All India Rank 4.
However, she could not clear the medical round because of an eyesight-related issue. She subsequently turned towards the civil services, faced setbacks during her attempts and eventually cleared the UPSC examination, joining the IPS in the 2017 batch. Her career has since included postings in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, before she was appointed SP of Kanpur Dehat in August 2025.
Reimagining Everyday Policing
Pandey’s current role has also included initiatives that place community engagement alongside conventional policing. During Mission Shakti 5.0 in Kanpur Dehat, she flagged off a “Run for Empowerment” involving women police personnel, teachers, health workers, anganwadi workers and women from different sections of society.
Pandey described Mission Shakti as being about more than safety, emphasising confidence, independence and empowerment. Her service record also includes DG Commendation Disc Silver in 2020 and Gold in 2026, according to Uttar Pradesh Police records. Official district and police records confirm that she is currently serving as Kanpur Dehat SP, with her present posting beginning on August 31, 2025.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Neetu’s story reminds us that public service is ultimately experienced at the level of everyday life: a working tap, an answered complaint or an official willing to listen. For citizens who already face barriers to accessing basic services, that responsiveness can make the difference between feeling ignored and feeling seen.
Pandey’s journey, meanwhile, shows how setbacks need not define the destination, while her current work illustrates the value of making institutions more approachable. When public trust is built through such everyday interactions, shouldn’t accessibility and empathy be treated as essential parts of effective governance?
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