Thiruvananthapuram: R Sreelekha, the first lady IPS officer from Kerala, says that she is fed up of her subordinates’ phone calls at odd hours. The director general of police, prison and correctional service in Kerala even had issued circular asking officers not to call her for simple issues in prison.

In 2004, she was awarded the President's police medal for Meritorious Service as the DIG of Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau, Kerala. She was also 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. 

The circular issued by her says that the subordinates should not call her for issues like serious illness of inmates, deaths, escape of inmates and other petty matters. This was the third circular issued by her so far. The first one was issued a year ago. In that circular she says that the subordinates should report problems in prison through their officers and not directly to her. 

It is alleged that, after this circular, many subordinates called her and then they were transferred to different training centres. It is also alleged that, at the same time that the transfer was a punishment to the subordinates.

Despite her second circular in 2018, she received calls from assistant prison officers informing about the several issues in prison. Even after the direction from the DGP, the subordinates reported problems directly.

It is alleged that following this disobedience of the subordinates, Sreelekha has issued a third circular, asking the officers to refrain from calling the IG on her mobile phone at unusual hours, as the second one did not make any impact.