15 inmates rescued from illegal de-addiction centre during police raid
As many as 15 inmates were rescued during a late-night raid at an illegal de-addiction and rehabilitation centre being run in the industrial area Focal Point on the Mehta road here on Thursday.
A team of health officials also accompanied the police team during the raid. The police have arrested the owner of the centre, identified as Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh, of Preet Vihar on Ajnala Road and Vishal Kumar of Chogawan village in Ajnala here.
Giving details, Assistant Commissioner of Police Vaneet Ahlawat said the Vallah police team during patrolling received a tip-off that duo were running an illegal de-addiction centre without any valid documents. They were keeping around 15 drug addicts in inhuman conditions and were not allowing them to meet their parents. They were allegedly extorting huge amounts from them for their ‘treatment’.
On receiving information, the police team along with health officials led by Dr Kirandeep Kaur raided the illegal de-addiction centre. The rescued addicts were taken in three ambulances to the Swami Vivekanand De-addiction and rehabilitation centre at Government Medical College.
“The 15 innocent individuals were unlawfully detained at the illegal rehabilitation centre. During verification, the owner could not produce any documents or licence for running the centre,” said the ACP, while adding that a case for wrongful confinement and cheating was registered against them at the Maqboolpura police station against them.