Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria on Wednesday described the death of four youths during a police recruitment drive here as unfortunate.
"The four incidents which have taken place in Mumbai and Thane Rural, we feel sorry, and they are very unfortunate incidents, that young lives were lost. We have spoken to the families of the deceased.We had shifted them to hospitals and given the best medical treatment," Maria said at a press conference here.
He also announced plans for conducting a five-kilometre-long run in the evenings, and also a change in the dates of examination.
"We have decided that the five km run will not be held in the morning, instead, it will be done after five in the evening. Now, with this decision, the candidates will have to stay for extra days. We had plans to complete outdoors by the 21st, but this will continue till the 28th. The written test will be held on the 13th of next month instead of the 6th," he added.
Maria tried to drive home the point that there was no change in the methods used in this year's recruitment drive, adding that they were the same as last year, and what had been in practice since 2011.
"Since June 10 this year, Mumbai Police's recruitment drive had started alongwith the rest of Maharashtra units. In Mumbai, which had 2570 posts up for grabs, we had received 1006825 applications. After checking documents, the next step of conducting physical tests, that is a 100-metre run, long jump, pull ups and the last item was a five km run. This physical tests started in 2011, and since then, it has been conducted. The same grounds, physical tests which were used on earlier occasions were used this time as well," he said.
"Right from the month of January this year, there was continous arrangement to look after law and order. This was the only slot (month) which could have been used for the recruitment drive," he added.
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Maria announced an enquiry. He said: "Nobody will be held responsible, if something has gone wrong then, I am to be held responsible. I have instituted an enquiry by the Joint Commissioner (Crime) to
go into the death of these four people, what were the reasons for their deaths. Outdoors will be held only in the evening, and running of five kilometres will be held only after a medical examination.