Ex-IPS officer: Youth who died during police recruitment hadn’t taken drugs

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, September 24

Forensic examination of Somveer Singh, who died during police recruitment drive here in June, has confirmed that he had not taken any performance enhancing drug. This was stated by Ranbir Sharma, president, Rashtriya Lok Swaraj Party, during a press conference today.

Viscera samples of the deceased were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Madhuban in Karnal, to ascertain the cause of death.

However, reason of the death was not stated in the report, said Sharma, who had a copy of the forensic report.

Somveer was a resident of Dhirana village in Bhiwani district and he had collapsed during physical examination on June 24 and died at the PGIMS in Rohtak next day.

He alleged that Somveer and four other youths had died due to poor arrangements made by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) during the recruitment drive. He demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased and a government job as suspected use of drugs or poison was not the cause of their untimely deaths.

“All members of the HSSC should be booked under Section 304 of the IPC for culpable homicide. Recruitment site, timing of physical test and lack of pre-medical test to ascertain health condition of the job aspirants led to the death of four-five youths and injuries to several others,” said Sharma, a retired IPS officer. Sharma said he would hold a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 2 to highlight discrepancies in the recruitment drive.

Superintendent of Police Simardeep Singh and DSP (Headquarters) Krishan Kumar were not available for comments.