Rejected applicants at AR recruitment wreak havoc

Aizawl, Sep 26 (UNI) The recruitment drive for Assam Rifles (AR) personnel at Serchhip in Mizoram ran into trouble when the rejected applicants attacked the officials and destroyed their tents and other equipment.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Lalbiakzama said police had to the spot to restore the situation on Tuesday.

Around 500 aspirants were rejected on grounds of incomplete applications made them angry and they attacked the officials. It also resulted in a fight between the rejected and accepted applicants.

AR authorities said the character certificates issued by the headmasters were not accepted on the grounds that the certificates should have been counter-signed by a gazetted police or civil officer.

When the entreaties made by the rejected applicants to the deputy commissioner and AR authorities proved futile, it resulted into a brawl, the SP said.

However, AR authorities accused the police of not being able to maintain the law and order.

Mr Lalbiakzama said most of the applicants had come from far-off places and were from poor families adding that they were rejected not because of physical fitness but unavailability of some documents.

He said other recruiters had not made such a fuss about character certificates during past recruitments.

However, an AR official, while regretting the incident, claimed that they had made it very clear during the pre-recruitment rally at Serchhip that character certificates signed by gazetted officers would be required for the recruitment.

One of the applicants, Lalnunsanga (22) of Bualpui village, died due to cardiac arrest yesterday.

UNI