Ex-cops back selection process

Despite the death of one person during a police recruitment drive at Kalina on Monday, former officers said there was nothing wrong with the recruitment procedure, reports Shailendra Mohan.

Despite the death of one person during a police recruitment drive at Kalina on Monday, former officers said there was nothing wrong with the recruitment procedure.

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Former Mumbai police commissioner Julio Ribeiro said that he did not see why the police should not hire unit-wise instead of in a centralised manner.

The stampede was thought to have been caused by candidates rushing to the application counters because they also wanted to apply at other centres.

“Whether multiple applications were allowed or not, these candidates would have rushed ahead anyway,” said Ribeiro.

Former Indian Police Service officer Y.P. Singh said the process cannot be handed over to a centralised body. Many had suggested this to ensure there is no repeat of Monday’s stampede.

“It’s been tried, but it failed,” he said, adding that the current system is good enough and has reduced corruption.

Dr. P.S. Pasricha, former director-general of police, under whom the system was flagged off in 2006, said what happened at Kalina was sad, but it “was an aberration that could have happened anywhere”. Defending the system, he said: “It’s very transparent; it makes it difficult for anyone to apply at multiple centres.”