A farewell parade was conducted on Saturday in honour of senior IPS officer and Director General of Police/ Director of Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Seema Agrawal. The 1993-batch IPS officer is retiring from service on attaining the age of superannuation at the end of this month. 

Director General of Police and Head of Police Force Mahesh Kumar Agarwal and other senior police officers greeted her on the occasion and the personnel of Armed Reserve conducted the parade in Rajarathinam Stadium. 

 In a farewell address, the outgoing DGP urged Tamil Nadu Police personnel to build a more humane, compassionate and citizen-centric police force, while reflecting on her 36 years of service.

Recalling her career across law and order, investigation and various specialised units, the senior officer said her assignments in special wings gave her a unique perspective on policing. “Sometimes, the view from the sidelines is far more vivid, like the sky at sunrise and sunset,” she remarked, adding that years of mindful observation had prompted her to reflect on the future direction of policing.

The DGP posed several questions for police personnel to introspect on, including whether officers could remain kind and compassionate towards their subordinates, the public and even accused persons. She also stressed the need to pay greater attention to marginalised victims, particularly missing persons and unidentified bodies, and explore ways to help road accident victims receive insurance claims more quickly.

Describing the Tamil Nadu Police as one of the country’s finest forces with a rich legacy, Ms Agrawal said continuous self-assessment and the pursuit of solutions to such questions would help the organisation reach greater heights.