SBI Grade IV Job Aspirants Protest

Patna: July 6, 2008

Candidates who were not allowed to take part in the State Bank of India clerk entrance test on Sunday staged a protest outside the bank's main office near Gandhi Maidan in Patna alleging the authorities illegally prevented them from taking exams despite arriving at the test center on time.

Demanding cancellation of the exam and re-scheduling of it, frustrated candidates blocked the road saying some of them were stuck in the traffic for hours thus making them late for the test.

Others, however, complained of official highhandedness saying they had the required documents with them and were also present at the test center on time and yet they were barred from taking the exam.

When the protestors refused to remove the blockade, policemen stepped in and broke the crowd while taking some candidates into custody.

SBI officials, however, maintained that only those candidates who were prevented from entering the test center were those who either arrived much late or did not have the required documents with them to prove their identities.

Bona fide candidates will be allowed to take the test scheduled for July 13, they said.