Pune: 23-Year-Old Candidate Collapses During Jail Dept Recruitment Physical Test, Declared Dead
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Shivajinagar, 28th March 2026: A 23-year-old candidate appearing for the physical test for the post of prison guard collapsed during a running event at the Police Headquarters in Pune on Saturday morning and was later declared dead at Sassoon General Hospital.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration) Sanjay Patil of the Pune City Police confirmed the incident.
According to officials, the recruitment process to fill 130 vacant posts of prison guards under the Department of Prisons and Correctional Services began on March 13, 2026. As part of the selection process, candidates have been undergoing physical measurements and field tests at the Police Headquarters in Pune.
On Saturday morning, candidate Purushottam Bhimrao Burkul (23), a resident of Chincholi Burkul in Deulgaon Raja taluka of Buldhana district, was participating in the 1,600-metre running test. He started the run at around 9.24 am and had completed three rounds of 400 metres each.
However, while completing the fourth round, he appeared to experience severe physical distress and suddenly collapsed on the ground.
Medical officers present at the venue immediately examined the candidate and found that his pulse was extremely weak. He was rushed in an ambulance kept on standby for emergency services to Sassoon General Hospital for treatment.
During the journey to the hospital, medical staff attempted to monitor his oxygen levels using a pulse oximeter, but no reading could be detected. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other emergency first-aid measures were administered, but the candidate did not respond to the treatment.
Upon arrival at Sassoon General Hospital, doctors conducted an examination and performed an ECG, after which Burkul was declared dead.
Shivajinagar Police Station has registered a case of accidental death (ADR No. 22/26) in connection with the incident. Further inquiry is underway.
