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Mystery shrouds the death of drug addict

Staff Reporter

Family says he was beaten to death at de-addiction centre

CHANDIGARH: “They threw the body in the lawn outside and did not even bother to inform us. …We had admitted him to the de-addiction centre with a hope that he might be cured. We did not know that he would die like this,” said Daljeet Kaur, mother of the 20-year-old who returned from the de-addiction centre dead instead of cured.

Surinder Singh was admitted to the drug de-addiction centre at Balongi, near Mohali, on Wednesday where he was the only patient. He died under mysterious circumstances on Saturday morning.

Ms. Kaur alleged that her son was tortured to death and then dumped outside the house in Mohali by those running the centre.

Superintendent of Police, City, Virenderpal Singh said: “The body had injury marks on the head, neck, arms and eyes. The centre has been closed since and managers are absconding.”

He added: “The centre’s men rushed him to two private hospitals in Phase IV and VI on Saturday but he was declared brought dead.”

The family has alleged that he was beaten to death by doctors at the centre although no FIR has been registered in the case so far.

The police said a case would be registered only after the post-mortem report was received.

According to Dr. Harpal, Consultant Psychiatrist at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, “A legal drug de-addiction centre has to certify it is competent to deal with the problem of de-addiction; there should be a doctor, a psychiatrist as well as paramedical staff available round the clock. Nursing staff and an ambulance are also a prerequisite.”

He said most of the de-addiction centres have become places made to mint money. Most centres do not have necessary staff, equipment and environment and they are generally mistaken in taking in an addict and straightaway detoxifying him.

Ideally, the procedure has three phases — stabilisation, reduction and then detoxification.

Not a single survey has been conducted in Punjab to ascertain the number of such illegal centres and the administration is yet to figure out the department which is responsible for the issue. An official at the health department of Chandigarh Administration said drug de-addiction is not a health subject as it is within the social welfare department’s purview.

The Social welfare department, which funds de-addiction centres, says it is a health subject as the licensing is issued under the ‘Mental Health Act.’

According to Dr. Harpal, “There is a mushrooming of illegal rehabilitation centres as drug addiction evokes a strong social dislike for the addict and his family dumps him at an unknown place, hoping he would get better. Most of the families do so without checking the centre’s authenticity.”

There are over 34 de-addiction centres in Punjab, but most do not have a permanent psychiatrist and warden. Patients in the illegal drug de-addiction centres are routinely tortured, abused and humiliated.

Blatant human rights violations have also been recorded in the past.

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