Kochi: Exhibiting exceptional resilience against a life-threatening illness, Advocate K Sunitha Vinod has been appointed as the Special Government Pleader at the Kerala High Court. She steps into this relevant state legal role backed by the formidable strength of having fought and completely defeated leukaemia.

Reflecting on her new appointment, Sunitha expressed that she views the position as a profound recognition from the state government for her unwavering battle against the disease. "This is an inspiration to everyone who, like me, has fought and defeated a terminal illness," she added.

Sunitha was diagnosed with the condition two years ago. While the initial news was shaking, she quickly regained her confidence and strictly followed the medical regimen advised by specialists at Amrita Hospital. Following a year of rigorous treatment, the illness was successfully overcome. After a period of mandatory rest, she resumed her legal practice this past January, leading up to her selection as Special Government Pleader.

Sunitha holds a law degree from the Government Law College, Ernakulam, and is the daughter of the late Rajasekhara Kurup and Kamalamma from Kundankulangara, Vaikom. She initiated her legal career in Thiruvananthapuram as a junior to Advocate C S Sukumaran Nair, before moving her practice to Ernakulam to join the office of M K S Menon and V Shantharam. She later established her independent practice and also collaborated as an associate with former MLA A N Rajan Babu. Her current appointment fills the Special Government Pleader post allotted to the JSS party.

Her prior public service experience includes a tenure as a Central Government Standing Counsel during the UPA administration, alongside serving as Senior Government Pleader under the Oommen Chandy-led state government.

In addition, she has served as Standing Counsel for prominent state entities, including Kerafed, the Kerala Livestock Development Board and the Kerala Inland Navigation Corporation.

She is married to Vinod Kumar, a retired employee of The Indian Express. The couple has two children: Kalyani S Vinod, who serves as an Assistant Professor at St Dominic's College of Law, Kanjirappally, and Narayan S Vinod, a Deputy Manager at Toyota Financial Services, Bengaluru. Her son-in-law, Jayachandran Nair, is an Assistant Conservator of Forests based in Kottayam.