Biratnagar, November 10:

Sixty per cent of the policemen listed for recruitment by the Eastern Regional Police Training Centre in Rani Biratnagar, who had applied for the posts after a vacancy announcement in October, were found to have wormed their way into the list through their godfathers in the police top brass.

The vacancy announcement for the posts was advertised on October 9 and some 526 candidates had applied. Some 207 candidates passed the written examination and medical tests conducted from November 1 to November 3. Another 137 made it on the basis of recommendations, the centre informed secretly.

Saying that 60 per cent were listed for recruitment on recommendations, a centre source said, “Those who did not have the backing of high-ups in the brass were left to return disappointed.”

Chief of the centre and superintendent of police Sudip Acharya had contacted different political parties in the district for recommending the candidates if they have any, alleged district secretary of the Nepali Congress, Pitamber Dahal. Acharya, however, has denied the allegation.

The list of those finalised for recruitment prepared by the Eastern Regional Police Training Centre has been obtained by The Himalayan Times in which names of authority, who recommended are also stated. Such recommendations came from Nepali Congress eastern regional coordination secretary Dilip Sapkota, Morang chairman of Nepali Congress Amrit Aryal, former state minister for home Hari Sapkota, district secretary of Nepali Congress, Pitamber Dahal, National Assembly member Ashok Koirala, NCP (UML) district executive committee member Binod Dhakal.