India, March 30 -- Sujatha Karthikeyan, a 2000-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Odisha cadre and wife of IAS officer-turned-politician VK Pandian, has taken voluntary retirement from government service, a fortnight after she applied for retirement.

In a letter to Odisha chief secretary Manoj Ahuja on Friday, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance and Pensions Department of Personnel & Training said her application on March 13 seeking voluntary retirement has been approved under Rule 16(2A) of AIS(DCRB) Rules, 1958, in relaxation of three months' mandatory notice period. The ministry has asked the Odisha government to issue necessary notification in this regard.

Karthikeyan, 49, who last served as special sec...