NEW DELHI, Oct 1: Thousands more police recruits have been fired in northern India after being accused of paying bribes and faking educational qualifications to get into the force, a report said on Monday.

In the latest round of dismissals, the government led by Mayawati, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state and India’s most powerful low-caste politician, sacked 7,400 policemen, the Press Trust of India said.

The firings bring to 17,848 the total number of police dismissed in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, the agency said.

They were hired in 2005 and 2006 during the tenure of Mayawati’s predecessor, Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has condemned the dismissals as ‘unconstitutional’. The mercurial Mayawati, who hails from India’s most oppressed caste and is touted as a potential prime minister, has vowed to fight corruption.

But opponents have accused Mayawati, whose Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won a sweeping majority in the state elections last May, of waging a vendetta against officers appointed by the previous government.

Maywati, whose absolute majority has made her all-powerful in the state which was previously ruled by bickering coalitions, has alleged ‘gross irregularities’ in the hiring process.

Mayawati, who goes by one name, has alleged the recruits got their jobs by paying bribes of up to $10,000 and providing false certificates. Marks on police entry tests also were allegedly changed.

Uttar Pradesh has over 110,000 men and women in uniform but also has one of India’s highest crime rates.

The state government said a ‘detailed probe’ into the recruitment process would be conducted by its anti-corruption branch.

A total of 22,000 police recruits were hired by the previous government and Mayawati says most were ‘irregular’. A slew of police supervisors who oversaw the recruitment have been suspended or fired.A police job, which offers benefits such as sick leave and pensions, is coveted in India where unemployment and under-employment is rampant. India’s law enforcement system is widespread and police can earn large sums in bribes.—AFP