THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: R Sreelekha, the first woman IPS officer from Kerala and also the state’s first woman officer to adorn the Director General of Police (DGP) post, joined the BJP on Wednesday. She is the third ex-DGP-rank officer to have joined the BJP in the state, after T P Senkumar, who joined the party after his retirement in 2017, and Jacob Thomas, who became a BJP member in 2021.
Sreelekha received the party membership from BJP state president K Surendran at her residence at Easwara Vilasam in the state capital. Sreelekha, who retired from service in December 2020, said she joined the party owing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma and BJP’s ideology.
She said BJP leaders had approached her to join the party and she took the decision after contemplating on it for three weeks.
"I had been an impartial officer in my 33-and-a-half years of service. After retirement, based on my experience, I realise this (joining the BJP) is my best way to serve the people,” she told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
She refused to comment on whether she would enter parliamentary politics or not.
Surendran said Sreelekha’s credentials as a top ranking police official were known to all. He said he was proud to hand over the party’s membership to Sreelekha during the Navaratri season, when women are worshipped as an epitome of ‘Shakti’.
Led many anti-graft drives while on CBI deputation
Sreelekha did not enjoy a good rapport with the LDF government during the fag end of her service. She had turned down the official farewell ceremony on her retirement. Of late, she had been in news for her comments on various issues on her YouTube channel.
Born in 1960, Sreelekha entered police service while working as a Grade B officer in Reserve Bank of India. She started her career as an assistant SP in Kottayam and, upon completing probation, was appointed the district SP of Thrissur in 1991.
She also served as the district SP of Wayanad, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts.
She later went on deputation to the CBI where she spearheaded various anti-graft drives, earning her the moniker ‘Raid Sreelekha’. Her stints as the managing director of various public sector undertakings were noted for efficient intervention and transparent administration.