Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Campaign material for BJP Thiruvananthapuram mayoral candidate R Sreelekha is being updated to reflect her retirement from the police force after objections were raised over the inclusion of her former IPS title on posters and banners.
The term ‘Retd’ has either been added or the IPS title has been removed. The IPS title has also been removed from the name board outside Sreelekha’s office.
The revision began soon after AAP candidate Reshmi TS, who is contesting from the Sasthamangalam ward, approached the returning officer on November 24.
Reshmi told media persons that using the IPS title after retirement was a serious violation, particularly coming from someone who once held a high-ranking position. She added that changes to the campaign material began after her complaint, though she has yet to receive any official communication on action taken.
Sreelekha, however, said she had not been informed of any restrictions by authorities and insisted that the omission of the title would not impact her campaign, remarking that voters were already familiar with her background.
The 65-year-old former DGP, who retired in 2020, was Kerala’s first woman IPS officer when she joined the service in 1987. She joined the BJP after stepping down, citing a desire to contribute to governance and public service.
As the Ernakulam Sessions Court prepares to announce its judgment on December 8 in the case of sexual assault against actor Dileep, Sreelekha is now facing renewed scrutiny over her comments in 2022 regarding the case.
Though she had no part in the inquiry, she was DGP for Prisons when Dileep spent nearly three months in custody. In a YouTube video, she confirmed that she had met Dileep in jail and cast doubts on a letter cited in the case against him.