KOCHI: Former DGP R Sreelekha said that women officers in the police force have been sexually abused. "I personally know that a DIG used to misbehave with a woman SI. One day she cried and asked me for help. The DIG used to summon her whenever he came to the police club. To which male official can she disclose this? She said this to me as I was a woman," Sreelekha said during an interview with a leading media outlet.

During the interview, Sreelekha openly stated that she had wanted to be the DGP in charge of law and order. "I wanted to be the DGP in charge of law and order. I was disappointed when I found that it was not possible. When I was the Fire Force DGP, I decided not to have a farewell to protest against the neglect. I am the first woman IPS officer in Kerala. If they had wanted to give me a farewell, the entire force should have stood up and saluted me. I was not interested in any gifts or boxes from the Police Association," she said.

"As a woman, I had faced severe criticism from the force. The first ten years were difficult. At one point, I even thought about quitting the force due to the mental torture," Sreelekha added.