FAISALABAD, April 10: The local police officials have received a huge amount from jobless boys to get them recruited as foot-constables against police patrol posts on main highways.

This was alleged by some of the job seekers, who had applied for the posts of constables, while talking to newsmen here on Saturday.

They alleged that four policemen under the patronage of senior officers approached the candidates, asking them to pay Rs50,000 each for getting them recruited as constables.

They said the list showing names of the successful candidates contained a number of names, which were far below in written examinations and physical tests. This bore ample proof to corruption by the police officials, they added.

Most of the victims, they said, had paid Rs50,000 each by selling their household articles and valuables.

According to them, some of the candidates, who had succeeded in getting the posts, were asked to appear in further tests only as formality.

The final list of 378 candidates was displayed at the Police Lines and the DPO's office on Saturday. The victims also complained that the list contained over 200 candidates, who had greased the palms of the police higher-ups.

They demanded the Punjab governor and the chief minister that they should constitute a high-level committee to probe the matter so that appointments against posts were made on merit and those involved in graft taken to task.

Reports said more than 5,000 jobless in the district, a number of master-degree holders and graduates among them, had applied for 378 posts of constables of patrol posts.

After scrutiny of documents, around 4,499 candidates were declared eligible for physical tests while only 1,260 fit for written tests.

Of them, 378 candidates have been called for the final interview the date for which will be announced soon.