Army expresses regret for 'underwear' exam

The army on Wednesday regretted in the Patna high court conducting a recruitment examination at Muzaffarpur for candidates in their underwears to prevent cheating and promised to take all precaution so that such an incident does not recur.

An affidavit was submitted by Director, Army Recruitment Board, Muzaffarpur, V S Godhara and a division bench of acting Chief Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari and Justice Samrendra Pratap disposed off the PIL after it.

Central government counsel S B Sanjay submitted the affidavit on behalf of Godhara expressing regret over the incident.

"Regret such incident. What happened should not have happened. Assured that respondent will take all precaution so that no such occurance happens in future," the affidavit submitted in the HC read.

On February 28, some 1,100 candidates were made to take off their clothes first and then sit only in underwear in an open field at Muzaffarpur for examination for the post of army clerks in a bid to prevent copying.

The incident had invited angry reaction.

Reacting to the images splashed across the media, the defence ministry had asked Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhaag to explain.

Colonel V S Godhara of Army Regional Office had at that time defended the action citing previous instances of candidates hiding slips of paper and mobile phones in their undergarments.

The Patna high court too had taken notice of these pictures and filed a suo motu public interest litigation.