Patna, June 29: Around 300 candidates awaiting appointment as police constables were allegedly lathicharged by police today, as they forcibly tried to enter the VIP area near R-Block to meet chief minister Nitish Kumar.

“Only 2,280 of around 10,000 candidates have been recruited after 2009. Today, some of us assembled to meet the chief minister but were lathicharged by the police,” said one of the candidates.

An officer at Sachivalaya police station, however, said: “There was no lathicharge. At least 17 of them have been taken into custody.”