What led to the tragic death of 11 candidates during excise constable recruitment exams?

During the ongoing physical examinations for the recruitment of excise constables, as many as 11 candidates passed away and hundreds have contracted illnesses related to exhaustion, according to Police on Sunday.

In addition, they have initiated an inquiry to determine the cause of the incidents and filed instances of unnatural death. According to doctors, the candidates' lack of preparedness for the demanding physical exam and the humid weather could have contributed to the deaths. Additionally, it was thought that a few of the candidates were using steroids, which negatively impacted their health.

The Jharkhand Jaguar campus in Ranchi, the Police Line in Giridih, the Jharkhand Armed Police Training Centre in Hazaribag, the Chiyanki aerodrome in Palamu, the CTC Musabani in East Singhbhum, and the Jharkhand Armed Police-9 campus in Sahibganj are the seven locations where a notable recruitment drive for 583 excise constables is being held. A total of 74,400 candidates are allocated to each of the seven locations.


"Unfortunately, four candidates died in Palamu, two deaths each were recorded in Giridih and Hazaribag, and one candidate died at each of Jharkhand Jaguar, CTC Musabani, and Sahibganj centers," police spokesperson and IG (operations), Amol Homkar, said on Sunday, providing details about the deaths. In relation to the occurrence, we have recorded incidents of unexplained deaths and are investigating the causes. We'll take additional legal action as appropriate."

Physical examinations will be conducted at each center by a board supervised by an IPS officer during the drive, which is set to run till September 4.

"ORS packets and drinking water are being given to the participants. In order to spare the candidates from working during the warmest portion of the day, physical examinations are scheduled early. All of the centers have medical camps, sufficient medication, ambulances, stretchers, mattresses, and mobile restrooms," the speaker stated.

There are drinking water stations every 500 meters in Ranchi's Smart City center, according to official sources. The endurance run course is equipped with CCTV surveillance and police officials stationed at different sites to ensure that candidates experiencing health issues receive prompt medical attention.

Vikas Linda, a Rampur village in Ranchi resident, passed away on Sunday during a physical examination at Sahibganj. According to his uncle Turia Linda, Vikas was rushed to the hospital but passed away. Up until last night, he was normal."

[With TOI inputs]