THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: R Sreelekha, the first woman IPS officer from Kerala and the first woman officer in the state to adorn the rank of DGP, will retire on Thursday, bringing the curtains down on an illustrious career in uniform that spanned 33 years.
The 1987-batch officer will hang up her boots as the Director General of the Fire and Rescue Services.
Born in 1960, Sreelekha entered the service when she was working as an officer in the Reserve Bank. She started her career as Assistant Superintendent in Kottayam and after completing her probation, she was appointed the District Superintendent of Thrissur in 1991. Thereafter, she functioned as District Superintendents of Wayanad, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts.
She later went on deputation to the CBI where she spearheaded various anti-graft drives thereby earning the moniker 'Raid Sreelekha'.
Her stint as Managing Director of various public sector units was noted for efficient intervention and transparent administration. She also found time to pen her thoughts and published nine books
including crime thrillers.
She had earned applause while working as Transport Commissioner. The efforts undertaken by her department helped reducing the number of road accident casualties and also enhanced the revenue of the Motor Vehicle Department to a record high.