Meet IPS Rahul Lodha who solved Archana Tiwari case; quit IBM job, slept in Gurudwaras, cracked UPSC with AIR…, was transferred due to…

While the Archana Tiwari case has brought IPS Rahul Lodha into the spotlight, the talented officer has an inspiring journey towards cracking the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE).

Bhopal Railway SP IPS Rahul Lodha recently attracted media limelight when he solved the Archana Tiwari case, a Madhya Pradesh-based woman lawyer who was traced in Uttar Pradesh by Lodha and his team, after being reported missing from a moving train nearly two weeks ago.

While the case has brought IPS Rahul Lodha into the spotlight, the talented officer has an inspiring journey towards cracking the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) to join the Indian Police Service (IPS). Let us find out more about IPS Rahul Lodha.

Who is IPS Rahul Lodha?

A native of Jalgaon in Maharashtra, Rahul Lodha completed his BE IT degree from the Pune Institute of Computer Technology, and soon landed a job at IBM after his graduation. However, barely months into the job, Lodha quit as he wanted to pursue his dream of joining civil services.

In 2009, Rahul Lodha quit his job at IBM and moved to Delhi to prepare for UPSC. But things were difficult because of financial constraints and limited knowledge about the city, which forced him to spend many nights in Dharamshalas and Gurudwaras in Chandni Chowk, as he inquired about UPSC coaching in the national capital.

Initially, Rahul failed to secure admission in a reputed coaching due to limited finances, but ultimately earned his way in with a scholarship, that included boarding and free tuition. However, despite extensive preparation, Rahul Lodha failed to clear the UPSC in his first two attempts, but ultimately cracked the tough exam and achieved his dream of becoming an IPS officer.

How IPS Rahul Lodha met his wife?

In a interview, Rahul Lodha revealed details about how he fell in love with Shubhi Lodha, whom he later married. Rahul met Shubhi at the coaching institute while both were preparing for UPSC. The two became friends and soon fell in love, and after his third and successful UPSC attempt, Rahul proposed to Shubhi following his mother’s approval.

Shubhi agreed, and the two families arranged the marriage of the young couple, which took place in 2012.

Why IPS Lodha was transferred as Ratlam SP?

Notably, Rahul Lodha previously served as SP Ratlam but was transferred overnight after tackling a communal flare up in the district in late 2024. Right-wing outfits in Ratlam, led by the Bajrang Dal, had accused SP Lodha of biased, unilateral action as communal tensions flared in the town, and demanded his resignation.

The IPS officer’s transfer came days after a Ganesh Chaturthi festival pandal was pelted with stones in September 2024, with Lodha later issuing a fact-check that no idol was destroyed in the incident.

Story Highlights

• IPS Rahul Lodha came to limelight after solving the Archana Tiwari case.
• He was previously posted as SP Ratlam, but was transferred after a tiff with local right-wing outfits.
• Rahul Lodha is a native of Jalgaon in Maharashtra.
• The young IPS officer met his wife, Shubhi, while the duo were preparing for UPSC CSE.

Currently, IPS Rahul Lodha is posted as the Superintendent of Police (SP) of the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.