Kiran Bedi quits, politics calling

Country’s first woman IPS officer has sought voluntary retirement

NEW DELHI: Kiran Bedi, India’s first woman IPS officer, is quitting the force, possibly to pursue an active political career. Bedi, a Magsaysay award winner, joined the Indian Police Service in 1972, and has sought voluntary retirement citing “larger academic and social interests”.

Currently director general of the Bureau of Police Research and Development, Bedi sent her application to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) about two weeks back.

The highly decorated officer of the Delhi Police, who has also served at the United Nations, felt that she “didn’t have anything more to offer to the service. I wish to be my own master now,” Bedi said. Though she declined to say anything about joining a political party, observers said she could look at the Congress party as an option.

“Had I stayed on to complete the remaining two years of my term, I would have been offered another two years’ extension. I don’t think I was prepared to put in four more years in police service,” Bedi told DNA.

On whether she would be ready to take some other responsibility entrusted by the government, she said, “I wish to work on my own now, for my own challenges.”

Last July, Bedi was miffed when she was superseded by YS Dadwal, an officer two batches junior to her, as Delhi Commissioner of Police. At that time, Bedi had gone on three months’ “protest leave”. She, however, returned to work a few days later after meeting home minister Shivraj Patil.
 
Bedi refused to comment on whether she was disillusioned with the service after being denied the commissioner’s post. “I have deep regard and gratitude for the service,” she said.
 
With news of Bedi’s voluntary retirement breaking out, the Delhi Police circuit was abuzz with speculation on what prompted her to take this step. A senior official of the Delhi police speculated that Bedi may have been given “certain assurances” by the home minister in July following which she resumed service. “These assurances may not have been met, which may have forced her to seek retirement,” the official added.

Bedi flatly discounted such speculation. “I did not seek anything and the MHA did not make any assurances. These are individual speculations and are very unfair. I am not the kind of person who would be lured to do something through assurances,” she said.

Even though the MHA has not given any feedback on the status of Bedi’s application, she is clear she will not remain in service. “My NGOs — Navjyoti and India Vision Foundation — deserve more of my attention now. I will work for them. I was deeply involved with reforms while working in the service and will continue with the same by working from outside now. I have been writing a book for quite some time now and I think I should complete it now,” she said.