Army job coaching centers: A thriving business model; aspirants have to pay up to Rs 3 lakh after getting job

The railway police investigating the Secunderabad station arson against Agnipath has found the army jobs coaching to be a thriving business.

Avula Subba Rao, accused of masterminding and financing the unprecedented violence at the Secunderabad junction on June 17, is an ex-serviceman running Sai Defence Academy, based in Narasaraopet in Andhra Pradesh since 2014.

The academy, like several such others that have mushroomed in several parts of the country, coaches the youth aspirants – mostly from the rural, poor backgrounds – for the army jobs.

Also Read: Agnipath protests: Key accused in Secunderabad railway station arson case in custody

Managements of some of these institutes are accused of abetting the rioting by army recruitment aspirants, fearing closure of their businesses once the centre's Agnipath is implemented.

Explaining such coaching centres' business model, Secunderabad railway police SP B Anuradha said that Avula and his associates camp near the Army recruitment rallies wherever they take place in the Telugu states, hiring close by function halls. They catch hold of the youth clearing physical tests and apprise them about the medical test that is conducted the next day morning.

“These people assure them of a job with coaching in their academy for the written entrance exam later. Sometimes they even offer money to the aspirants who are mostly from humble backgrounds. But before they can begin their coaching, aspirants have to deposit their original certificates and sign a bond for Rs three lakhs, to be paid after they get the army job passing the written test. Their certificates are returned by the management only after the amount is paid,” Anuradha said.

“Such academies are making massive money through army recruitment. Our investigation is in progress to identify other defence academy directors who have supported the violent incident,” the IPS officer said.