SHRC tells govt to probe deaths during cop recruitment drive

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission today directed the state government to conduct an inquiry within three weeks into the death of four candidates while taking physical endurance test during a police recruitment drive recently.
Hearing a petition filed by Kirit Somaiya, BJP MP from Mumbai, Chairman of the Commission S R Bannurmath also directed the government to bear hospitalisation expenses of few other candidates who were hospitalised due to fatigue after running in scorching heat during the test.
The state has been asked to submit its report by July 8.
Advocate Yashodeep Deshmukh, who was appointed amicus curiae (friend of the court) in the matter, said the state had not provided basic facilities like drinking water, toilets, shelter and food to the candidates. As a result, they were drained out and collapsed after being made to run for five kilometres.

He sought responsibility to be fixed on officials who conducted the drive and compensation to those who fell ill during the physical test. The government has already announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each of the four candidates who died during the tests.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Bombay High Court issued notices to Maharashtra government, state's Additional Home Secretary, and Director General of Police on a petition filed by All Maharashtra Human Rights Welfare Association seeking a stay on the ongoing drive and compensation to those who had taken ill.

A bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sonak converted a letter written by the Association into a suo motu (on its own) PIL and ordered that state government and other authorities be served notices, returnable on June 23.

The letter had prayed for a stay on the recruitment drive, issuance of guidelines by the state to monitor the recruitment process, formation of a committee to supervise the procedure and award of compensation to the family of the deceased.
The letter said the government had failed to provide basic facilities like water, food, toilets and shelter to the candidates who had to sleep in open spaces. In many centres, due to small size of the grounds, the test was being held on public roads, the letter alleged.