Gorakhpur: Gorakhpur PAC training centre turned into a site of mass outrage on Wednesday morning as over 600 female trainee constables erupted in protest over inhuman conditions. Tearful recruits claimed they were forced to bathe in the open under surveillance of CCTV cameras and were denied basic needs like water and hygiene.
One trainee collapsed screaming, “CCTV is installed where we bathe, Why call us without arrangements?” Others alleged threats like “pipes will be shoved down your throats” when they asked for water. The women said 30 recruits were crammed into rooms with a single fan, while 14 lived in tin sheds. “We slip and fall every day, one of us broke a tooth,” a woman said.
The protest created panic among officials, especially since CM Yogi Adityanath was present in Gorakhpur for a program at the same PAC tower. Top police brass rushed to the scene. Only after 7 hours of complaints and assurances, including removal of cameras from bathrooms, did the women return to training.
After political outrage, three officers were suspended. DIG Rohan P. Kanay who controversially ordered pregnancy tests was removed and sent to DGP HQ. The incident has dealt a blow to Yogi’s “Nari Suraksha” narrative exposing deep cracks in the very institutions meant to uphold it.
