NIA officer Sanjeev K Singh who led probe into Pathankot attack passes away
New Delhi: Retired IPS officer Sanjeev Kumar Singh, who led the probe into the 2016 terrorist attack on the Pathankot Air Force base while serving in the NIA, has died. He was 61.
Singh, a 1987-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, died at a hospital in Gurgaon on Friday.
His former colleague in the central probe agency and Assam's Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) G P Singh tweeted about his passing away.
"A sad day. We lost Sri Sanjeev Kumar Singh IPS 1987 batch to Dengue today. My mentor at @NIA_India he would always remain in thoughts. Rest in peace Sir," G P Singh wrote.
The National Investigation Agency also condoled his death.
"NIA Condoles Sad and Untimely Demise of Shri Sanjeev Kumar Singh IPS (1987 MP). Shri S. K. Singh served NIA for 7 years and stood for an indomitable spirit of Professionalism, Honesty, and Commitment. May His Soul Rest in Peace," the central probe agency said on its official Twitter handle.
The officer had retired from service in February. He last served with the Border Security Force as an ADG (eastern command) based in Kolkata, looking after the deployment of the force along the India-Bangladesh international border.
The officer had led the NIA probe in the 2016 terrorist attack on the Indian Air Force base in Punjab's Pathankot and had escorted a joint investigation team of Pakistani officials, in March that year, who visited the airbase as part of their own probe in the case.
The officer was a health enthusiast and his last Twitter post on June 14, 2018, has a video where he can be seen doing pull-ups and push-ups as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fitness challenge to IPS officers.
He has also served as ADG (Naxal operations) in Madhya Pradesh after his deputation with the NIA ended.
The IPS Association, the Madhya Pradesh DGP, and the BSF also condoled his death on their official Twitter handles.
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Rare Kalyani Chalukya-era stepwell discovered in Karnataka’s Gadag district
Gadag: A centuries-old stepwell from the Kalyani Chalukya period is discovered into public in Sudi, a remote village in Karnataka’s Gadag district. The Nagakunda Pushkarani, dating to the 10th-11th century CE, is undergoing extensive restoration under the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage’s ‘Adopt a Monument’ scheme.
The stepwell was focal point of community life and craftsmanship under the reign of Akkadevi, sister of Chalukya king Jayasimha II. It shows the dynasty’s mastery of architecture and water management. Its interior walls are carved with the precision of temple façades, setting it apart from most surviving stepwells in southern India, linking it stylistically to examples in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
After centuries of neglect left its sculptures weathered and its waters dry, the site is now being revived by the Deccan Heritage Foundation India in partnership with Heritage Matters, the Gandipet Welfare Society and the Water Literacy Foundation according to a report published by The HIndu. Work includes structural repairs, removal of invasive vegetation, dredging, stone resetting and landscaping, alongside the restoration of an adjacent mantapa with a large Ganesha idol.
Heritage architect B. Sarath Chandra noted, the project is as much about functionality as aesthetics, with water recharge efforts already underway. Funded by Gandipet Welfare Society founder Rajashree Pinnamenni, the restoration is slated for completion by late 2025, followed by a second phase linking the stepwell to the Jodu Kalasadagudi temple through landscaped pathways.
The report mentions that officials say the revival of Nagakunda Pushkarani could not only reintroduce Sudi’s Chalukya heritage to a wider audience but also serve as a model for conserving other lesser-known monuments across Karnataka.
