Hundreds of youths who said they had passed the recruitment test for the rank of constable in Bengal police and demanded immediate employment blocked Belvedere Road, in front of the state police directorate at Bhabani Bhavan, for three hours on Monday afternoon.

The blockade threw traffic out of gear in several pockets of south Calcutta on the first working day of the week.

Police had to push back the protesters as they refused to vacate the road even after multiple requests.

The protestors, who were holding posters and banners, demanded employment on Monday and shouted slogans that they heard by the Bengal police brass.

“We have cleared the recruitment test. Some of our batchmates have been inducted. When will we be employed? We will go home only after the authorities tell us our joining dates,” a protester shouted.

Senior officers, including deputy commissioner (south) Akash Magharia and joint commissioner (establishment) Akhilesh Chaturvedi, tried to pacify the crowd citing a stay on recruitment because of a case pending with the state administrative tribunal. “We told the protesters that the matter was pending in court and that blocking the road would not get them jobs,” said an officer.

The blockade started around noon and was removed at 3pm.