Army under HC glare for stripping youths at job test

PATNA: The Patna high court on Tuesday took suo motu cognisance of pictures published in a newspaper showing candidates taking an Army recruitment exam in Bihar's Muzaffarpur on Sunday in undergarments.

Altogether 1,159 candidates wrote the test, which the Army Regional Office (ARO) in Muzaffarpur conducted for recruitment of clerks.

After advocate Dinu Kumar mentioned the pictures in the court, a division bench of acting Chief Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari and Justice Chakradhari Saran Singh treated it as a PIL. The bench directed ministry of defence secretary to file his reply explaining why the candidates had to remove their clothes to prevent cheating. The matter would come up for hearing on April6.

Narendra Kumar, 20, who appeared for the examination, confirmed they were asked to remove their clothes.

“We were frisked at the main gate before being allowed to move inside an enclo sed area. The Army officers on duty asked us to remove all clothes, except our undergarments and some of us who showed reluctance were asked to leave,'' Kumar said.

He said they had no option but to remove their clothes as the officers were heard saying that if they were allowed to wear clothes, they might cheat. ARO Muzaffarpur direc tor (recruitment) Col V S Godra told reporters the candidates were asked to remove their clothes as a preventive measure against cheating. “We did not insult anybody or subject anyone to cruelty ... no examinee complained, so why outsiders are making a hue and cry over the matter?“

Parrikar seeks report in underwear case

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar has asked the Army to explain the circumstances under which candidates appearing for a recruitment exam in Bihar were forced to appear only in their underwear in a bid to prevent cheating. Army headquarters has, in turn, said that it has taken serious note of the incident and has directed corrective measures for ensuring fairness without causing embarrassment to candidates.