Unauthorised de-addiction centres thriving in state

Anirudh Gupta
Ferozepur, December 25
The police last week shut down an unauthorised drug de-addiction centre at Suba Kahan Chand village in the district and rescued 15 youths. Residents claim that many such centres are fleecing many families.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hardyal Singh Mann said the police found out about the centre when the parent of a drug addict lodged a complaint.

The police then nabbed Sukhwinder Singh, the in charge of the centre. The de-addiction centre lacked any facilities. Madan Lal said he took his son Rajesh Kumar to the centre at Manawala on December 8, 2014. He alleged Sukhwinder charged him Rs 10,000 per month. He further alleged he found out later that his son had not been admitted to the centre, but taken to Suba Kahan Chand in Ferozepur. He then complained to the police. 

Later, it was revealed that Sukhwinder kept around 15 drug addicts from Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Sultanwind areas at a building rented from Gurmit Singh, sarpanch in Suba Kahan Chand. 

Vibhor Sharma, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), city, said, "The accused had hired some untrained helpers. The patients were confined and not fed properly." He further said the youths had been transferred to a de-addiction centre in the civil hospital. 

Sources said many such bogus de-addiction centres were flourishing in the state. The SSP said the police were probing the matter.