Sreelekshmi, the wife of Junior Warrant Officer A Pradeep — one of the victims of the December 8, 2021 IAF helicopter crash that also killed India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and other defence officials — on Monday, February 7, joined her duties as a clerk at taluk office in Kerala's Thrissur. The news was shared by Revenue Minister K Rajan. After the accident, during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on December 15, it was decided to give Sreelekshmi a government job according to her qualifications.
Revenue Minister Rajan, who arrived at the taluk office, received Sreelekshmi who had come with her two young children to take up the job. After signing the papers, with tears rolling down her cheeks, she said: "I am thankful to all who made this possible." Sreelekshmi holds a post-graduation degree in Commerce.
"The state government has kept the promise and she has been given the job," Rajan said. Apart from the job, the state government gave her Rs 5 lakh, and another Rs 3 lakh to Pradeep's ailing father, who used to work as a casual labourer before his son joined the Air Force, for his medical treatment. Pradeep was by his father’s side for two weeks in the hospital, before leaving for Sulur when the helicopter that the defence officials were travelling in, tragically crashed in Coonnoor.
After his death, many remembered Junior Warrant Officer Pradeep’s contributions during the 2018 Kerala floods. A picture of Pradeep in action during the floods was shared widely on social media. Pradeep had opted to join the helicopter squad, which was engaged in rescue works at various locations in the state. For these efforts, he was commended by the President of India when the state witnessed the worst floods in a century.