Illegal deaddiction centre sealed, 60 inmates rescued in Moga village

Faridkot, July 8

Nearly 60 persons have been rescued from an unauthorised drug de-addiction centre being run at Buttar Kalan village in Moga by a team of the district Health Department. The centre has been sealed.

The police today booked seven persons on charges of wrongful confinement, causing hurt, snatching and cheating under Sections 115 (2), 127(4), 140(3), 35 (3), 318(4) and 61(2) of the BNS.

Those booked are Garry Arora of Moga, Kartar Singh, Ajay Kumar and Raja Singh of Samrala, Harman Singh of Jagraon, Jyoti of Raikot and Arsh of Baghapurana. The complainant in the case is a person who has been a drug addict for the past three years. As per his complaint to the police, he was brutally beaten up at the drug de-addiction centre and treatment was not provided to him.

A team of the Health Department raided the drug de-addiction centre and rescued the persons. It is alleged that three drug addicts, who were under treatment at the centre, died recently due to severe beating and lack of treatment.

According to sources, a young man, who was being treated at the centre, had approached the district administration through an NGO after which Moga Deputy Commissioner Kulwant Singh had ordered an investigation into the working of the de-addiction centre by forming a team of health officials under the supervision of ADC Harkirat Kaur.

The investigation team found 60 such patients at the centre, who were kept captive for a long time to get rid of their habit for drugs. Many patients were undergoing treatment for the past one year.

Investigation revealed that the centre was operating without a licence. The patients reportedly told the team that a few days ago, a youth from Barnala district and two others had died due to torture at the centre.