Panchkula, June 28 -- Hours after the former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda visited the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) aspirants protest site in Sector 5, Panchkula on Friday, district police allegedly detained protesting candidates in a late-night operation and kept them in custody overnight.

The aspirants, who have been protesting since December 18, last year, against HPSC, alleged that around 11.30 pm on Friday, a heavy police force reached the protest site while they were asleep, confiscated their mobile phones and took them to the police station. They claimed the action came despite administrative officials earlier assuring them that their demands would be heard.

Around half a dozen women, including Ramandee...