Chandigarh: Close to 15 per cent of the 6,600 candidates selected to join the Haryana Police force as constables failed to turn up for document verification and biometrics this week, raising suspicion of impersonation during the earlier stages of examination. This, when the process was restarted after years of delay — the posts were advertised in 2020 and the written exam was held the next year.
The process for appointment of 5,500 male and 1,100 female constables in the force, which had been hanging fire due to litigation, was started last Monday.
More than 940 candidates selected to join failed to appear for the final verification of their documents and matching of their biometrics, said Bhopal Singh, Chairman, Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC).
According to Singh, who spoke to ThePrint Thursday, it is routine for some of the selected candidates to not show up. He, however, said that while some of them may have got better jobs elsewhere, the possibility of impersonation can’t (also) be completely ruled out.
“We gave them a second chance Thursday. But they still failed to report. Now, they will be considered absent and it will be presumed that they are not willing to join,” he added.
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The 4-stage process
Haryana Information and Public Relations Department also issued a press release Tuesday, a day before Holi, announcing that the selection process was on at the Police Academy in Madhuban.
The process involves candidates undergoing a medical examination followed by police, and document verification. About 150 policemen were on duty to ensure candidates did not face any inconvenience. Food, too, was organised for the candidates, the press note added.
However, as HSSC chairman Singh confirmed, 833 selected men and 111 women candidates failed to report. Moreover, he said, the biometrics of 33 men and 11 women did not match with the data available with the HSSC.
“For the purpose of biometrics, we take the thumb impressions of the candidates,” he said.
There are another 250-odd candidates whose biometrics matching is not completely off, but is being read as doubtful, he said.
Explaining how this is different from a complete mismatch, Singh said recruitment was a four-phase process. “The first phase involves a written test, and the second is a physical screening test where the candidates have to run a given distance in a specified time,” he said.
The third stage is a physical measurement test where the candidates’s height, chest and other physical attributes are measured. And the last one is document verification where their certificates are verified, he said.
“At each stage, the candidates have to go for biometrics match. Hence those who fail in the biometric tests will not be allowed to join,” he said.
“We videograph the entire process. We have CCTV cameras at the site and we also match the candidate appearing on the day with the picture they provided at the time of application,” he said.
Singh pointed out that a biometrics test at the final stage can fail if a person has been engaged in intense manual work since the initial phases. “But we have other methods to identify the candidates…We won’t allow any wrong person to sneak into the job, but at the same time, no genuine person will have to suffer,” he added.
Another chance?
“There is no last date of joining but our verification process ends Friday. The 44 candidates whose biometrics didn’t match at all are ruled out,” he said.
“The 250-odd candidates with inconsistent matching will be given two more days and they will be verified through other available data such as photographs, videos, CCTV footage etc.,” said Singh.
On whether alleged impersonation can invite criminal action, Singh said they cannot force someone to join the force. Besides, he said, not reporting for document verification does not amount to a criminal act.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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