image courtesy- hindustan times

Rosy Sequeira, TNN | Jun 17, 2014,

pathetic conditions in which the police recruitment drive is being conducted into a public interest litigation.
The letter, from the All Maharashtra Human Rights Association, highlighted the death of four candidates in the tests so far and urged the court to treat it as a petition by attaching pictures showing the “ill-treatment” of candidates.

“For all this, the home department, Mumbai, and the director general of police who is monitoring this recruitment process are responsible,” the letter said, claiming that unless there are specific directions from the court these “malfunctions cannot be stopped as the issue is in the interest of public at large and to save lives of young India”.

The petitioner urged the court to stay the recruitment process immediately, direct the government to issue specific guidelines, pay appropriate compensation to the families of the deceased and form a committee to monitor the entire process.

Converting the letter into a suo motu PIL, a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sonak issued the government to reply by June 23.

It is natural lakhs would apply when largescale recruitment is being organized and it is the state’s and the conducting authority’s primary duty to provide the applicants basic amenities. “Most (applicants) are non-residents of Mumbai. Thus these candidates are compelled to take halt in open places like roadside in Mumbai. There are no facilities being provided for them to halt or to stay during the day and night time by the authority as well as by the government which is suitable and nearer to the selection centre,” the petitioner said.

The selection centres are not “neat and clean and no facilities like drinking water and medical aid, no crowd controlling force, no proper guiding staff for the candidates” have been provided. “In such pathetic conditions, the recruitment is being conducted. At many centres, due to small size of grounds, the test is being conducted on public roads… Unfortunately, none from the state or its authorities has come forward to look into the situation. It’s a mockery of democracy and is violating the principles of the Constitution of India, which is shameful,” the letter added.

The petitioner said Ambadas Sonawane from Malegaon, Saiprasad Mali from Jalgaon, Vishal Kedare from Dindori, Nashik, and Rahul Sapkal from Mumbai have lost their lives and claimed seven are in Rajawadi hospital in a serious condition. “Neither the minister is concerned nor any authority is interested to look into the said issue,” the letter said.

The government has collected charges from the candidates but failed to provide necessary amenities to them, said the letter, adding that recruitment is important but the environment for it “mustn’t be overlooked”.

Read mor ehere- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Mumbai/Bombay-HC-turns-letter-on-cop-recruitment-mess-into-PIL-issues-notice-to-state/articleshow/36674494.cms