De-addiction centre being run illegally at Asal village raided by police

A team of the Patti Sadar police busted a de-addiction centre being run illegally in the border village of Assal on Saturday. One of the members of the management running the illegal centre has been arrested and his three associates are on the run. Sources revealed here on Sunday that the accused were running the illegal centre in the name of Naya Sawera Drug Foundation Rehabilitation Centre, Assal, where alternative drugs were being given to the patients during the treatment to make them dependent on their medicines rather than curing them. The members of the management used to lock addicts in a room and torture them in case they demanded medicine.

The police team led by ASI Nirmal Singh arrested one Tejpal Singh, a resident of Mari Kamboke during the raid while his accomplices, Pawan Kumar Sharma of Nadala, Harpal Singh, a resident of Pandori Ran Singh and Paramjit Singh, a resident of Valtoha, managed to escape from the spot. Sub-inspector Vipin Kumar, SHO, Patti Sadar, said that he was unaware of the illegal de-addiction centre being busted in Assal village.

The police said that the management has neither got any permission from the government nor were there qualified doctors.

The accused have been booked under section 318 (2), 318 (4), 127 (2), 127 (3) and 127 (4) of the BNS.