States » SouthPosted at: Oct 4 2026 8:06AM


Pregnant police commissioner leads police action during Amit Shah protest in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 4 (UNI) Kollam City Police Commissioner M Hemalatha IPS, who is pregnant with her second child, found herself at the centre of a sudden security situation during union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent visit to Kollam, personally leading the police response when Youth Congress workers attempted to wave black flags at the convoy.
The incident occurred when protesters unexpectedly emerged and moved towards the route of the union Home Minister's convoy. Hemalatha intervened immediately, without giving a thought to the fact that she was pregnant or that she should perhaps exercise additional caution.
The intervention, she said, was not intended to draw attention or publicity but was simply an instinctive response to a developing situation.
Her colleagues quickly moved towards her after noticing her confronting the protesters and ensured that she was taken back behind the security cordon.
Hemalatha maintained that the incident should not be viewed as something unusual merely because she is pregnant. She said she remains physically fit and has continued to perform her professional duties, with no other health complications.
She said she was following the diet and exercises advised by her doctor and was prepared to remain at work even up to the ninth month of pregnancy, provided her health permitted it.
Pregnancy, she pointed out, does not automatically mean that a woman has to withdraw completely from her workplace. The ability to continue professional duties depends on the individual's health and medical condition.
While some women may require complete rest from the early stages of pregnancy on medical advice, those who are physically fit and face no such restrictions should not necessarily be kept away from their professional responsibilities simply because they are pregnant, she said.
Hemalatha acknowledged that she is unable to remain as active as she was earlier, but said she was keen to continue being involved in her duties.
Her colleagues have been particularly supportive, she said, frequently asking her to take rest and assuring her that they would take care of field responsibilities.
She, however, said she did not feel comfortable staying indoors while her colleagues were working outside, particularly in the heat, and preferred to remain with them whenever her health allowed.
The support extended by her colleagues became especially evident after the Kollam incident, when they expressed concern over her intervention and ensured that she was moved to a safer position.
On the security arrangements for Amit Shah's visit, Hemalatha rejected allegations that the convoy had been obstructed or that there had been a security lapse.
"The convoy of the union Home Minister was not obstructed even for a second," she said.
According to Hemalatha, the protesters had reached the location before the jammer vehicle arrived. Some of them suddenly emerged from a vehicle and attempted to stage the black-flag protest.
The police acted immediately and removed the protesters before they could move towards the convoy, she said.
Police had also maintained that the protesters were removed before the convoy was obstructed and that the union Home Minister did not witness the protest. The clarification followed allegations by BJP leaders that the incident represented a serious security lapse.
The episode has also brought renewed attention to Hemalatha's distinctive approach to policing and several incidents from her career.
Soon after taking charge as an Assistant Superintendent of Police, she once disguised herself as an out-of-state migrant worker speaking Malayalam with a Tamil accent and approached the Perinthalmanna police station in Malappuram with a complaint that she had lost her purse.
The exercise was intended to find out first-hand how an ordinary person was treated while approaching a police station for assistance. The initiative attracted considerable appreciation for its attempt to understand policing from the perspective of a common citizen.
During a Sabarimala pilgrimage season, when she was posted at Nilakkal, Hemalatha also assisted pilgrims who had met with a road accident. The pilgrims later presented her with Aravana Prasadam, which she distributed among her colleagues. She has remained in touch with some of them even years after the incident.
A native of Erode in Tamil Nadu, Hemalatha had an impressive academic record before joining the civil services.
She graduated in Agricultural and Irrigation Engineering from Anna University and subsequently completed a postgraduate programme in Integrated Water Resources Management, for which she secured a gold medal.
She later received a research fellowship from the South Asian Water Association and participated in international workshops, including programmes held in Bangladesh.
Hemalatha entered the Indian Police Service in 2016 after securing an all-India rank of 629. She was initially allotted the Himachal Pradesh cadre before moving to the Kerala cadre in 2019 following her marriage to P Karthik IFS, a Forest Service officer whom she met during civil services training.
Karthik is currently serving as Kannur Divisional Forest Officer. Both Hemalatha and Karthik are from Erode in Tamil Nadu.
Her Kerala career has included postings in Attappady, Perinthalmanna, Kozhikode City and the Malabar Special Police.
She later became the first woman Commandant of the Kerala Armed Police Fourth Battalion and the first woman Rural Superintendent of Police of Kannur district.
Hemalatha said she was transferred to Kollam only a few months ago after serving in Kozhikode, Kannur and Ernakulam. She said she was satisfied with her official assignment in Kollam and had received good cooperation from the public.
Away from policing, she is now preparing to welcome her second child. She already has a son studying in LKG.
Both mother and son, she said, are excited about the arrival of the baby, making the current period another significant chapter in their family life.
Hemalatha said the support of her husband Karthik had helped her balance her professional commitments and family responsibilities.
Her decision to remain active in field duties during pregnancy has drawn appreciation from colleagues, particularly after the Amit Shah visit, when she personally responded to the sudden protest.
On social media, her firm approach to policing has earned her descriptions such as "Pen Singham" (lioness) and "Penpuli" (tigress). Those who know her personally, however, describe her as calm, gentle and soft-spoken.
The Kollam incident offered a contrasting glimpse of the police officer — a calm and soft-spoken person in private life who can respond decisively when confronted with a sudden law-and-order situation.
For Hemalatha, the episode appears to be another chapter in a service marked by an unconventional approach to policing, professional commitment and a continuing willingness to remain on the field despite the personal circumstances she is currently navigating.
UNI DS
Tags: #Pregnant police commissioner leads police action during Amit Shah protest in Kerala
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