Who is IPS officer Isha Singh: Meet Puducherry’s viral ‘Lady Singham’ who stopped a TVK leader mid-speech at Vijay’s rally

• IPS officer Isha Singh moved to Delhi after viral rally incident in Puducherry
• Singh praised as 'Lady Singham' for enforcing crowd limits after Karur stampede
• Her viral video captured her stopping a politician from breaking safety rules.

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IPS officer Isha Singh, who recently went viral for stopping a political leader from violating crowd limits at a public rally in Puducherry, has been transferred to Delhi. The transfer comes as part of a larger reshuffle of senior police officers ordered by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

According to the order issued on Sunday, at least seven Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre have been moved to Delhi from various Union Territories. Singh was serving in Puducherry when the incident that brought her nationwide attention took place.

Viral moment at Vijay’s rally

Isha Singh shot into the public spotlight during Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay’s first major rally after the deadly Karur stampede. The event was held at the Uppalam Expo Ground in Puducherry and was conducted under strict police supervision. Authorities had capped the number of attendees and banned any roadshows to avoid overcrowding.

During the rally, TVK general secretary Bussy Anand addressed the gathering and announced that there was space inside the venue, urging more people to enter. Singh immediately intervened, stopped him mid-speech, and objected to the announcement.

Referring to the Karur stampede that killed 41 people on September 28, Singh reminded the organisers of their responsibility. “Forty people have died. What are you doing?” she was heard saying in a stern tone. She made it clear that no additional entry would be allowed beyond the permitted limit, regardless of political pressure.

The exchange, in which Singh briefly seized the microphone from the leader, was captured on video and quickly spread across social media platforms.

'Lady Singham’ tag

The video of Singh’s intervention went viral, with many praising her for enforcing the law without fear or favour. Social media users lauded her courage and presence of mind, especially in the backdrop of the Karur tragedy, which occurred during a massive TVK rally.

Many referred to her as the “Lady Singham” of Puducherry. The TVK leader later appeared to acknowledge her reaction and attempted to calm the situation, but Singh remained firm on maintaining the safety protocols.

All about IPS Isha Singh

Born in Mumbai in 1998, Isha Singh comes from a family closely associated with public service. Her father, Yogesh Pratap Singh, is a 1985-batch IPS officer who resigned after facing repeated punishment postings for exposing corruption. Her mother, Abha Singh, left the Indian Postal Service to become a lawyer and is known for handling several high-profile public interest cases.

Before joining the IPS, Singh studied law at the National Law School, Bengaluru. She chose to work on human rights and public interest cases instead of taking up corporate roles. In 2021, she helped secure Rs 10 lakh compensation for the widows of three manual scavengers who died while cleaning a septic tank in Mumbai and has also worked on cases involving wrongful arrests and misuse of power.