Police recruitment: 1 more drops dead, 8 fall ill

Bhawanipatna: Just two days after a youth, aspiring to gain entry into police force, died of suspected cardiac arrest while taking physical test for the post of a constable in Cuttack, another candidate met with similar fate during a recruitment drive at Bhawanipatna Saturday.
The deceased, identified as Susant Nayak, was a resident of Dharabhata under Biswanathpur police limits in Kalahandi district.
Sources said, as usual the recruitment drive for OSAP (Odisha Special Armed Police) began at Bhawanipatna Reserve Field Saturday morning. During the physical test, Nayak collapsed on the ground. He was rushed to District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) at Bhawanipatna in a critical condition. However, the doctors declared him ‘‘brought dead’’.
Preliminary information from the doctors suggested that Nayak died due to suffocation. Police registered a case of unnatural death and sent the body for autopsy.
Ramesh Pradhan, 19, of Nukhapada village under Narsinghpur block of Cuttack district had died Thursday in a similar manner. According to reports, Ramesh was taking part in the 1,600-metre run conducted by Odisha State Armed Police at Naraj ground when he collapsed on the track.
He was given first-aid and then rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack where he was declared dead. Ramesh is said to have suffered cardiac arrest during the run. After post-mortem, the body has been handed over to his relatives. As the news of his death reached his village, the locals held up traffic demanding adequate compensation to the bereaved family. The road blockade was lifted after local administration provided `10,000 from Red Cross fund and an additional financial assistance of `2,000 under Harishchandra Yojana to the family.
Meanwhile, eight other candidates have been hospitalised after they collapsed during physical endurance test for the constable recruitment. Among them two candidates are from Sambalpur, four from Keonjhar including a female candidate, Damayanti Behera, and two candidates from Cuttack.