B.P. Singh, the Man Who Taught India to Say “Daya, Darwaza Tod Do,” Dies at 77

For millions of Indian households, Sunday nights meant one thing: ACP Pradyuman, Daya and Abhijeet cracking a case. The man behind that magic, B.P. Singh, has left us.4 What Happened…

By Reetam Bodhak

October 28, 2026

2 min read

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For millions of Indian households, Sunday nights meant one thing: ACP Pradyuman, Daya and Abhijeet cracking a case. The man behind that magic, B.P. Singh, has left us.4

What Happened with B.P. Singh?

Brijendra Pal Singh, known to everyone as B.P. Singh, died on Tuesday morning, October 27, 2026, after a massive heart attack. He was 77. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit confirmed the news and called him “a great human being & a dear friend.” Pandit had worked closely with him when Singh headed the IFTDA. Last rites are scheduled for October 28, though other details haven’t been shared yet.

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B.P. Singh at a Glance

Detail	Info
Full name	Brijendra Pal Singh
Age	77
Known for	Creator-director of CID and Aahat
On-screen role	DCP Shamsher Singh Chitrole in CID
Other credits	Adaalat, Raat Hone Ko Hai, Gutur Gu, Divya Drishti
Film appearance	Agent Vinod (Chief of an organisation)
Other role	Former Chairman, FTII

The Story Behind CID

Few people know how CID began. Singh was reportedly working on a Marathi show when a doctor told him that the dead never lie. That line pushed him toward forensic-led storytelling. He is said to have funded the first episodes himself. The show finally aired in 1998.

What followed was history. According to Wikipedia, CID ran on Sony Entertainment Television from 1998 to 2018 and crossed 1,500 episodes. It became one of India’s longest-running TV series, and its famous single-shot episode still gets talked about. The show returned with a second season in December 2024, proving how loved it still is. If you want to revisit the genre he shaped, check our list of popular crime shows on Indian television.

Beyond the Badge

While CID gave him fame, Aahat gave horror lovers sleepless nights. Both shows had one thing in common: simple, clean storytelling that families could watch together. Singh also guided young filmmakers as Chairman of FTII, passing on his craft to a new generation.

A Legacy That Lives On

Every “Kuch toh gadbad hai” and every door kicked in by Daya is a small piece of his imagination. Television has lost a pioneer, but his characters will keep solving cases in our memories.