Gender blunder: Male, female police recruits undergo medical exam together in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind

A video has surfaced showing men and women constable recruits of the Madhya Pradesh Police undergoing medical fitness tests together in the district hospital room here.

"We have learnt orthopaedic surgeon Dr R K Agrawal, surgeon Vinod Bajpai, ophthalmologist Dr R S Kushwaha, ENT specialist R N Rajoria and gynaecologist Dr Ranu Sharma examined 21 men and 18 women recruits together in the same room ahead of their formal induction in the police yesterday," district hospital superintendent Dr Ajit Mishra said.

Dr Agrawal and a hospital clerk, Devendra Sharma, were suspended for alleged dereliction of duty. Mishra said Sharma was suspended because he had sent the recruits together to the room instead of calling them in one after the other.

He said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident and show-cause notices have been issued to the five doctors.

Senior doctor B C Jain will conduct the inquiry.

The video footage shows men in their undergarments being examined in the presence of the women.

Mishra said some more constable recruits - men and women - were medically examined separately today in the district hospital.

A controversy erupted last week in the state's Dhar district when photos appeared in the media, showing aspirants for the post of police constables with caste categories inked on their bare chests.

The photographs carried in various newspapers showed aspirants with the terms "SC" (Scheduled Caste), "ST" (Scheduled Tribe) and "G" (General) marked with sketch pens on their chests as they queued up for their medical examination.

Dhar Superintendent of Police Virendra Singh has ordered an inquiry into the incident.