Tired of phone calls from subordinates at odd hours, Director General of Police (DGP) - Prisons and correctional services in Kerala R Sreelekha issued a circular asking officers to not call her for ‘petty issues’ in prisons.
The circular, which is the third in a row, asked subordinates to refrain from calling her on her mobile phone at odd hours to resolve certain issues, including escape by inmates, law and order issues in jail and serious illness of inmates and deaths.
The DGP had issued the first circular a year ago. In it, she instructed subordinates to report problems in prisons through their officers and not directly to her. Despite the order, some subordinates called her. They were also transferred to training centres.
On May 8, 2019, Sreelekha issued the second circular, which instructed subordinates to call the jail chief or zonal Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) in case of problems in the prison, and not the contact the Director General of Police directly.
However, despite the second circular, the DGP continued to receive phone calls from assistant prison officers informing her about the lack of policemen to transfer inmates. The subordinates informed her directly when they should have reported the issue to their direct superiors or the prison control room.
Following this, Sreelekha issued the third circular, asking officers to refrain from calling the IG on her mobile phone at odd hours, as the second one seemed to make no impact.
R Sreelekha is the first lady IPS officer from the state of Kerala. Currently the DGP of Prisons, she has served many important ranks in the Kerala police. In 2004, as the DIG of Vigilance and Anti-corruption bureau she was awarded the President's police medal for Meritorious service. She was selected for the prestigious Chevening fellowship by the Government of United Kingdom. She has also undergone specialised training by Scotland yard/metropolitan police of UK.