The Hindu : Recruitment drive: police probe on

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 17, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Recruitment drive: police probe on

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 16. The State police have started a special branch inquiry into reports that a Kochi-based job placement agency is recruiting retired Army personnel for "guard duty with the Army in Iraq."

A highly placed police official told The Hindu that the inquiry report would be submitted to the Government soon. The police are also looking into the antecedents of a native of Kollam who owns the placement firm.

According to sources, the recruitment firm had received a "demand letter" from a Kuwait-based company asking for 2,000 "able-bodied" retired army personnel for "guard duty with the Army in Iraq". The Kuwait-company is also a supplier of "hardware items" to the U.S. Army stationed in Iraq, sources said.

On the basis of the letter, the placement agency had conducted a recruitment drive in Kochi last week. Similar recruitment drives were reportedly conducted in Bangalore and Mumbai by the same firm. However, none of those interviewed by the firm in Kochi have left for Kuwait, sources said. The police are trying to find out whether there was anything illegal in the recruitment process. The records submitted by the agency to the district police and the Protector of Emigrants (POE) in this connection were being verified. An official said that to conduct recruitment drives, the agency should produce the original copy of the demand letter issued by the foreign firm requiring labour from the country. According to the Emigration Act, the agency should also maintain a register of the number of persons they recruit for jobs abroad.

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