R. Sreelekha IPS has many titles to add, she is the first woman IPS officer in the Kerala cadre, later the first woman Superintendent of Police and now the first woman to adorn the position of the Director General of Police (DGP) of Kerala. In conversation with widely admired, diligent and competent Sreelekha IPS
Can you elaborate on your career path?
My father was a college lecturer. So I had the same dream, of becoming a college lecturer. I wanted to be like him. At the same time, my parents dreamed of making me a doctor though I never had any interest in becoming a doctor. I worked as a lecturer for one month after completing my post graduation in English literature. While I was planning to join for M.Phil, my teachers asked me to prepare for civil service because they felt I have the calibre to become one. I had no one in my family who had a civil service background to guide me. My father passed away when I was 16. I had no idea what to do, where to go for classes, whom to inquire about the exams. Still, I prepared well and wrote the exam, and I qualified in the second attempt but lost IAS for seven marks. Thus, I became an IPS officer. Now when I think about losing seven marks, I feel happy because it gave me the opportunity to become ‘the first lady IPS officer’ of Kerala. Though, it was unexpected.
How did everyone react to your achievement of becoming the first woman IPS officer of Kerala?
My family was very happy, they blessed me. The society and media too accepted me. I think my colleagues were confused; they don’t know how to handle a woman officer. I had to work hard to prove them that I can do things like male officers. Those times were so hard for me to get over. The attitude of the officers was different, and at times I couldn’t get along well with them. Without knowing my concerns and what I wanted to do, my seniors decided my duties. My subordinates often refused to respect me. I believe, all of these, each and everything I have gone through made me even stronger, courageous and bold. I am sure my juniors never had to face those kinds of problems, and they have expressed their gratitude to me for that. Many of them visit me and seek advice for their professional and personal life. I am happy about it.
Now there is enough number of women officers. Do you think there is a change in the attitude towards them? Yes, of course. Now, women officers are equally respected as male officers, and they are getting postings. I still remember an incident. When I was promoted to SP, I requested to post me as the battalion commandant in Thrissur, but my request was rejected. The reason was that the authority was reluctant to make a lady officer as the battalion commandant as they were not sure about my ability just because I am a woman. That situation has changed. Now female officers are being posted as battalion commandant, and they are handling the post successfully.
Gender discrimination has to be avoided in all the fields, especially in your work field…….
Gender discrimination is one of the major issues that we face for ages. It is like an epidemic that needs to be eradicated. Now in India, there are above 400 lady officers in this field. Including the new batch, total 11 lady officers are there in Kerala. So it is visible that there is a massive change in attitude from the time when I started my career to the present condition. As
we know, women are considered more emotional than men. Does the emotional presence of a lady officer affect the department and duties?
To understand the victim’s feel, yes officers should be emotional enough. Being emotional, trying to understand their feelings, only helps in the fast completion of the case. Who said that being emotional is bad? Showing empathy is bad? In my point of view, it is good to stay emotional. Also, being emotional is not just for women, but it applies to male officers too. The only difference is, women express their emotions more than men. There are many cases I can take as examples where dealing with emotion has helped in finishing the case faster.
Can you please explain a case that you investigated successfully with this attitude?
The Praveen murder case was one of those cases where I had to deal with the emotions. Praveen was a bus conductor. He was murdered, and his body was cut into pieces. Each part was found from different places. Investigations led to a senior police officer, and I still remember SP of that time refused to question this police officer. When I asked for the permission to question him, my superior officer warned me, telling, “You will face suspension if he is innocent”. He refused to support me in this matter. I questioned that police officer at my own risk. I had strong instincts that only he had the motives to kill Praveen. He did the crime with the help of some thugs, and one of them was in my custody. So I was aware of his presence in this case. When I expressed my doubts to someone in the department, they replied: “No, he will never do that”. There was some confusion regarding the identity of the victim because his head was missing. In the last moment, his head was found from the banks of Kochi Lake. Everything turned out like a jigsaw puzzle. It is the only case in the Kerala history in which the culprit was under custody within 90 days. I was given the Meritorious Entry Award by the Government of Kerala. I was cent percent satisfied with that case. Then my superior officers came to support me because I did the right thing at the right time. Another heart touching case was Kiliroor case. I could understand what all she had gone through as I was there in the post-mortem room witnessing everything. That case affected me emotionally, but at the end, I was happy because I could find the culprits. When I visited the jail, many of those criminals said, “Madam we are here just because of you”!
How was your experience in working with CBI as DIG ?
Working with CBI was an unexpected one. Sreelakshmi Prasad my immediate senior, P.M. Nair and Thrinadh Misra, the director of CBI invited me to join their team. They said, “We require officers like you”. But at that time my husband and kid were in Kerala, so I had to request for a post in Kerala itself. There are wide differences in the way of handling a case by the police department and by CBI. CBI is much more a professional organisation. Regarding a case of corruption, I arrested a very rich and popular person, and I was not interrupted by any of my seniors in CBI. I investigated murder cases. The Munna case was investigated by our team. One day Munna’s mother visited me, and she was crying. She asked me to find the real culprits who killed Munna. So I reopened the file and formed a new team to reinvestigate the case. Munna’s mother passed away while we were close to the climax. That made me very sad because she couldn’t see those criminals.
K. Karunakaran was a very influential political figure in Kerala. Can you share your experience while investigating his case when you are working with vigilance as SP?
It is an unforgettable experience. Leader Karunakaran sir posted me as SP of Thrissur district. After three or four months of posting, I got a transfer due to an issue. He called me and said, “I have that much pressure on my head that is why I am giving you a transfer now.” Then I got posted in Vigilance. I investigated his case while I was in vigilance. I finished everything except questioning Karunakaran sir. When I went for the approval order to question him, I was asked to prepare a questionnaire. I prepared one containing 108 questions; after the corrections done in the questions, I got the approval. I sent a notice to Karunakaran sir. Due to health issues, he couldn’t climb the stairs, so he requested to find a place where he could avoid climbing stairs. One day was not enough to finish the questioning. He co-operated with me well. As per his request, I sent him the questionnaire in advance so that he could prepare. He postponed answering some of them. We gave him intervals to have juice, medicines. He considered everything as part of my duty, and he never criticised my actions or intentions.
In law and order, a very small mistake might result in a suspension, especially while handling mobs, one should be very careful. Is it true?
People who make mistakes or commit a crime while working in the department should be suspended. A suspension will be there over our head as a sword all the time, but being afraid of suspension might restrict us to take a step, to move forward. Being courageous and doing the job genuinely is better than being a coward. Otherwise, I would not have finished the investigation of Praveen murder case. Media at times twisted the problems in their way, so the authority was compelled to raise questions, I gave answers, and fortunately, they accepted my views. All these are part of my duty.
Please share a few words about your family and the support they have given to your work
Dr Sethunath is my husband; he is working at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. We were together since nursery class. Then we fell in love, and a marriage proposal came from him. We got engaged, and after four years we got married. He supports, criticises and suggests ideas for my works and writings. Our son, Gokul, is running a consultancy company in Kochi. He is a self-made man. My mother stays with me, and she is my greatest support. She stands like a pillar. I am very lucky to have such a supportive family.
How do you find time for literature in between the busy schedule?
Everyone finds time to have food, to drink water. Like that, I find time to write. Literature is in my blood. So I can’t avoid writing. I started writing at a very young age. While I was studying, my articles were published in both school and college magazines. I had won many prizes for writing competitions. I read a lot whenever I get time; it will be in the early morning or the night or might be during day breaks.
Are you conscious about your health?
I was. Whatever duty I am committed to, I try to finish it with utmost sincerity. Same happens when it comes about exercise. I used to go for morning walks while listening to my favourite music and chanting prayers. In that way, I used to walk 7-8 kilometres. Now I am suffering from Edema, after falling two times while walking. So I do small exercises at home and control food.
Are there any other dream to be accomplished?
Yes, I have much to accomplish. I make it come true step by step; one by one. I wanted to do something good for women and children while I am in the service. I hope I will get an opportunity for the same. I also want to help the homeless and provide a shelter for them. My vision is to create a place for them to live without fear. It should be economical and better than the existing centres. I completed a book in English; the rest is in the processing stage, planning to complete after my retirement. I am happy and blessed because my dreams are being fulfilled one by one. One reason behind it is the presence of God, and the other is my strong determination to make them come true.
