R. Sreelekha (born 25 December 1960) is an officer in the

Indian Police Service The Indian Police Service ( IPS) is a civil service under the All India Services. It replaced the Indian Imperial Police in 1948, a year after India became independent from the British Raj. Along with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS ...

and the first Lady Officer of the IPS from

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Sreelekha is also an author and now running a successful YouTube channel- “''Sasneham Sreelekha''” ''(With Love, Sreelekha)'' to share her experiences as a police officer. She has also served as managing director for public sector organisations in Kerala. During her tenure in the CBI, she earned the nickname of 'Raid Sreelekha'.

Early life and family

Sreelekha was born on the

Christmas day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

of 1960, as one of the daughters of Prof. N. Velayudhan Nair and B. Radhamma. Sreelekha's father Prof. N. Velayudhan Nair had fought the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a soldier in the Indian Army, on the side of the Allied Forces. Sreelekha is married to Dr. Sethunath, Prof. Paediatric Surgery, Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram and has one son, Gokul.

Education

Sreelekha completed her schooling from

Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, Cotton Hill Government Higher Secondary School for Girls, Cotton Hill is a school for girls located in Vazhuthacaud in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. Campus GGHSS Cotton Hill has a total area of 9 acres of woode ...

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

where she was involved in various activities like music, drama,

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and NSS. She then went on to complete her bachelor's degree in English Literature at the

Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, also known as H.H. The Maharaja's College for Women, is one of the oldest women's college located in Trivandrum, Kerala. It was established in the year 1864 under the University of Madras. Acade ...

. She then did her master's at the Institute of English in the University of Kerala. In 2005, while in service, she obtained an MBA in

Human Resource Management Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

from IGNOU. She was awarded the prestigious Chevening Fellowship by the

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and she undertook the fellowship studies in

King's College, London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

Sciences Po Paris , motto_lang = fr , mottoeng = Roots of the Future , type = Public research university''Grande école'' , established = , founder = Émile Boutmy , accreditation ...

, Edinburgh University,

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

offices in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

and

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from September to December 2015. She also attended the Mid-Career Training Program at the London Business School and

Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...

(Scotland Yard) in 2013.

Career

Early career Prior to joining the police service, Sreelekha, worked as a lecturer at the Shree Vidyadhiraja College. She also worked for the

Reserve Bank of India The Reserve Bank of India, chiefly known as RBI, is India's central bank and regulatory body responsible for regulation of the Indian banking system. It is under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It is responsible for ...

, as a Grade B Officer and was posted as a Statistical Officer in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

. Indian Police Service In January 1987, at the age of 26, Sreelekha became the first woman IPS officer in Kerala Cadre. After joining the police service, she has served as District Superintendent of Police in 3 districts,

Alappuzha Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in States and territories of India, state of Kerala, India. The Kerala Backwaters, Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indi ...

Pathanamthitta Pathanamthitta (), is a municipality situated in the Central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The town has a population of 37 ...

and

Thrissur Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...

. Sreelekha also worked with the

Central Bureau of Investigation The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of India. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Originally set up to investigate bribery and governmen ...

for 4 years as Superintendent of Police in Kerala and

DIG Digging, also referred to as excavation, is the process of using some implement such as claws, hands, manual tools or heavy equipment, to remove material from a solid surface, usually soil, sand or rock (geology), rock on the surface of Earth. Di ...

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

. She was promoted to Deputy Inspector General of the

Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...

Range. In 2005, Sreelekha was posted as the Managing Director of the Kerala State Co-operative Rubber Marketing Federation. In June 2007, she was posted as the Managing Director of the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala. Later on, she also served as the

Inspector General An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory off ...

Crime Branch The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes detectives belong in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations. A force's CID is distinct from its Special Branch (though officers of b ...

. She also served as Addl. DGP, Armed Police Battalions with additional charge for Training. From her posting as ADGP Vigilance, on 15 February 2014, she has been posted as ADGP (Police Home Guards, Community Policing, Gender Justice and Nodal Officer for Nirbhaya). She was the Organising Secretary of the 5th National Conference of Women in Police, organised by the Bureau of Police Research & Development in July 2012, and is also a strong advocate of gender parity in the Kerala Police force. As ADGP, Sreelekha was asked by

Home Minister,

Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan (born 26 December 1949) is an Indian politician from the state of Kerala. From 13 April 2012 to 1 January 2014, he was the Home Minister in Oommen Chandy Ministry, Government of Kerala. He simultaneously held the Vig ...

to conduct an inquiry into the involvement of Kerala Information Commissioner K. Natarajan, who had allegedly persuaded a Dy.S.P of Police to leave out the name of

V. S. Achuthanandan Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan (born 20 October 1923) is an Indian Communist politician who was the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011. At 82, he is the oldest person to have assumed the office. He served as the chairman of Admin ...

from the list of accused in a land scam case. After completion of investigations, Sreelekha recommended the suspension of the Information Commissioner, upon finding that the official had misused his office. R. Sreelekha as ADGP Vigilance & anti-corruption Bureau, chargesheeted the Disproportionate Asset case against IG Tomin J. Thachankary, accused also in several other cases. As retaliation, Thachankary accused Sreelekha for violating norms in visiting

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

prior to Government Permission. Sreelekha sought permission from the government to file a defamation suit against Tomin J. Thachankary, and obtained the same. As the Transport Commissioner in Kerala, she reduced the road accidents and fatalities substantially through inclusive road safety measures and in 2014, there were 292 less fatalities in Kerala against the statistics in 2013, which was a record achievement in India. The revenue from taxes and penalties reached an all-time high of Rs 3000 crore during her tenure. Motor Vehicle Department became successful in e-governance, Vahan-Sarathy was completed and an android app called 'Smart trace' was made to detect vehicle duplications and digital record of around 98 lakh vehicles in the state. She also conducted Asia's first ever Road Hackathon with assistance from the World Bank, at Technopark where over 300 participants showcased their technological innovations to better road safety in the State. For detecting Praveen Murder case in Kottayam and arresting the then - DySP R Shaji and also for getting lifetime imprisonment for him and his accomplices within 90 days of chargesheeting the case, she was awarded the Government's Meritorious Service Award. She was the officer investigating the Kiliroor sex scandal case, and reported to the CBI court that there was no VIP involved. Thomas Chandy, an MLA and K. P. Mohanan was accused of being linked to the case. However, Sreelekha's deposition to the court was on the basis of the statement from the victim which absolved the two. R.Sreelekha investigated the irregularities in Consumerfed in procuring rice above the market price and for irregularities found in various godowns in

Kochi Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...

and

She was the Transport Commissioner of Kerala from July 2013 to September 2015, during which time, road accidents and fatalities were at an all-time low. Asia's first ever road safety Hackathon conducted by her with assistance from World Bank at Technopark Trivandrum was a huge success. As ADGP Crime Records Bureau, she completed the Crime & Criminal Tracking networking system and started an interactive website "THUNA" (The Hand U Need for Assistance) for a public interface with police. As Additional DGP, Intelligence, Kerala from June 2016 to January 2017, her proposal to start a counseling center HATS (Help and Assistance to Tackle Stress) for police officers who are suffering from mental stress, to help those who have personal problems such as addiction, issues with senior officers, family problems, financial problems, suicide tendencies etc. has been approved by the Department. She got promoted to the rank of Director General of Police in September, 2017. From January 2017 to June 2019, she worked as the Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services in Kerala. She had introduced several positive changes in the 54 prisons in the State which are now referred to as Correctional Centers. From June 2017 to 1 June 2020, she was the head of a newly created post, "Social Policing & Traffic" in Kerala and was stationed at the Kerala State Police Headquarters. She took charge as the DGP heading the

Kerala Fire And Rescue Services The Kerala Fire and Rescue Services is the service department of the Government of Kerala whose function is to fight fires and provide relief measures in times of calamities and disasters in Kerala. It is responsible for the provision of fire ...

on 1 June 2020, becoming the first 'Woman DGP' of independent charge in Kerala. She retired on 31 December 2020, as the Director General of the

, after completing 33 years and 5 months in the service.

Medals and recognition

* In 2004, as DIG Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Sreelekha was awarded the President's Police Medal for Meritorious Service. * In 2013, as ADGP Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Sreelekha was awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service. * In 2006, during her stint as managing director, the Rubber Board won the Thailand Government's Best Exporter of Rubber in Asia award. * Sreelekha was selected for the prestigious Chevening Fellowship by the Government of United Kingdom and she attended the fellowship in London at King's College from September to December 2015. She also attended specialised training at Scotland Yard/metropolitan police of UK. * She won the Indian Overseas Award for Public Service in 2006. * FOKANA award for literary contributions was given to her in 2005. * In 2007, she received the Kerala Government's Meritorious Services Award for detecting the sensational case of the murder of a civilian named Praveen by the then-Deputy Superintendent of Police R Shaji. After the investigation, Shaji was found guilty by the court.

Selected works

Sreelekha has penned and published 9 books. * Cheru marmarangal (2005) * Neerazhikapuram (2006) * Maranna Doothan (2008) * Kuzhaloothukaran (2009) * Lottos Theenikal (2009) * Mansile Mazhavillu (2011) * Niyama samrakshanam Streekalkku- a book on legal awareness to women * Kuttikalum Policum- a book for the children about Police and their activities * Jaagarookan (2013)- Detective novel Publisher DC Books * Thamasoma- Detective series in Kerala Koumudi magazine She writes regular columns in periodicals and magazines. Her column in Vanitha Magazine, "Marupuram, the Other Side" which is being published now is well appreciated by the readers. Sasneham Sreelekha- YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/channel/UCup0QqQP2A95jqYkzJuuU9w

References

External links

* Interview o
Asianet On Record
* https://web.archive.org/web/20150923213053/http://www.dcbooks.com/jagarookan-released.html * https://www.amazon.in/Books-R-Sreelekha/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3AR%20Sreelekha * http://www.bharatchannels.com/asianet-news-shows-watch-online/sreelekha-ips-transport-commissioner-detective-fiction-released-video_7cf630261.html * http://malayalam.tv.cybernewsblog.com/interview-r-sreelekha-ips-transport-commissioner-in-varthaprabhatham {{DEFAULTSORT:Sreelekha, R. 1960 births Living people People from Thiruvananthapuram University of Kerala alumni Articles created or expanded during Women's History Month (India) - 2014 Indian women police officers Women from Kerala Indian civil servants Civil servants from Kerala