An IPS officer who rose from the ranks of a sub-inspector created a record of sorts by calling it a day from service at the age of 78 on August 31.

P. Kishan Rao will perhaps go down as the only IPS officer in the country to have worked on extension of service without a break in the same post for 18-and-a-half years post-retirement as Superintendent of Police in 2003. The extension was given by all parties in power – Telugu Desam, Congress and TRS. He served his last 33 years only in the Intelligence department.

Mr. Rao had joined police as an SI at Suryapet in 1966 and retired as non-cadre SP at the age of 58 in 2001. Then TDP government gave him a one year extension when he was conferred with IPS and allotted to its 1994 batch. He again retired, this time as full-fledged IPS officer in 2003.

Consecutive governments thereafter gave him extensions ranging from one to three years but finally the innings ended on Tuesday last when he opted out due to old age.