The 2023-batch on-probation IAS officer is facing serious charges of impropriety and “abuse of power”.
Videos of a massive queue, marked by pushing and shoving, as aspirants tried to get a toehold on a ramp leading to the entrance of a hotel in Ankleshwar where the interview was being held, has gone viral on social media.
The Bharuch Police has started a sou motu probe into a stampede-like situation that was witnessed on July 9, when around 1,000 people turned up for walk-in interviews held by a firm for 40 vacancies at Ankleshwar in the district.
Videos of a massive queue, marked by pushing and shoving, as aspirants tried to get a toehold on a ramp leading to the entrance of a hotel in Ankleshwar where the interview was being held, has gone viral on social media. The railing of the ramp finally collapsed, leading to several aspirants falling off, though no one was injured.
A private chemical company, Tharmax Limited, had invited aspirants for walk-in interview for 40 vacancies at hotel Lords Plaza between 9 am and 4.30 pm, the police said. As per the advertisement, the company was to fill vacancies of shift in charge, plant operator, supervisor-CDS, fitter-mechanical and executive-ETP at its new plant in Jhagadia industrial area.
Bharuch SP Mayur Chavda said, “The company was expecting over 150 to 200 applicants, but over 1,000 applicants reached the hotel. The company representatives allowed around 150 to 200 applicants (inside) and closed the main door of the hotel. As those outside tried to enter into the hotel premises, some of them fell… But nobody was injured in the incident.”
He added that no police complaint has been filed in the matter yet. “However, we have taken suo motu action and started an inquiry, as the video has gone viral on social media. We have started calling the company representatives who were handling the interview process and also hotel staffers. If anything comes up during the inquiry, we will take appropriate steps.”
Despite repeated attempts, Thermax Limited officials could not be contacted for a comment.
Meanwhile, late Thursday, the office of Employment Officer (Bharuch), in a statement, said that more than 500 candidates had come for the interview and the company had organised the recruitment drive on its own at the hotel, which was a small place to accommodate over 500 people.
‘बेरोज़गारी की बीमारी’ भारत में महामारी का रूप ले चुकी है और भाजपा शासित राज्य इस बीमारी का ‘एपिसेंटर’ बन गए हैं।
एक आम नौकरी के लिए कतारों में धक्के खाता ‘भारत का भविष्य’ ही नरेंद्र मोदी के ‘अमृतकाल’ की हकीकत है। https://t.co/Ix8sAMtVx9
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 11, 2024