One killed in scramble for police jobs in Mumbai

Mumbai, March 8 : One young man was killed and 11 others were injured in a stampede Monday during a police recruitment drive, police said.

The tragedy occurred when the gates to the recruitment centre in Kalina Police Grounds opened. Over 10,000 anxious job aspirants forced their way inside grounds, some jumped over barricades and a compound wall in a bid to get an early start in the queue, police said.

In the ensuing melee, Ramesh Aherwas, a youth from Ahmednagar, was crushed to death. The injured were taken to the V.N. Desai Hospital in Santacruz.

The recruitment drive was temporarily suspended, and resumed after a few hours.

Similar recruitment drives were carried out at five other centres in the city. An estimated 100,000 applicants turned up for over 3,500 lower constabulary posts.

State Home Minister R.R. Patil and Police Commissioner D. Sivanandhan visited the site of the stampede Monday afternoon.