india

Updated: Oct 16, 2019 23:29 IST

The Odisha police on Wednesday asked the Army not to conduct any recruitment drive in Bhubaneswar after three youths who had come for the ongoing tests were arrested for eve teasing while several others who failed the test were baton charged for creating nuisance at the railway station.

Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner Sudhansu Sarangi said that he had spoken to the Territorial Army authorities and urged them to hold such recruitment drives either in rural areas or on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

“The area around the Territorial Army battalion in Bhubaneswar is sensitive from security point of view and prohibitory orders have been clamped there. We have spoken to the 120 Battallion not to hold recruitment within the capital city limits.”

Sarangi’s request came after three army aspirants from Uttar Pradesh who were in Bhubaneswar to appear in the recruitment drive were arrested on charges of eve-teasing. The trio - Bidesh Yadav, Subham Singh and Ankit Kumar - reportedly passed lewd remarks at some women in the city’s Indira Gandhi Park and thrashed a youth who protested their behaviour.

“There are several unscruplous elements among the youths who are resorting to anti-social activities after failing in the exams,” the police commissioner said.

The recruitment which began on October 14 has drawn 40000 candidates from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh for 83 posts in the Territorial Army. Those appearing for the recruitment tests are coming in batches. The recruitment drive will end on October 24.

The army has not yet reacted to the Police Commissioner’s request.

On Tuesday night, hundreds of army aspirants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh who were returning to their respective homes after attending the recruitment drive were lathi charged by RPF, GRP and local police for creating unrest at the Bhubaneswar Railway Station. The youths from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh allegedly entered coaches of two trains without any ticket and occupied seats forcibly and pulled the chains frequently, police said.