Authorities unaware of ‘illegal’ de-addiction centre at Mullanpur

Mullanpur Dakha, Nov 18

The authorities of various government departments are unaware about an ‘illegal’ drug de-addiction centre on the Jangpur-Mullanpur road, from where over 12 inmates had run away to avoid alleged inhumane treatment and torture.

Meanwhile, people managing the de-addiction centre, running under the banner of a religious body, have claimed that no medical treatment was given to addicts to help shun drugs.

While claiming disassociation with any traditional drug de-addiction centres, Baba Gagandeep Singh and Bhupinder Singh, who run the centre, said psychological and persuasive counselling methods were used to motivate desirous youths to shun drugs and narcotics.

“We are running the centre under a religious organisation in the name of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and counsel only those youths, whose parents or guardians show interest to seek their rehabilitation,” said Gagandeep Singh while refuting charges of exploitation, illegal detention, assault and physical or mental torture levelled by inmates, who reached the Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, for the management of addiction-related disorders.

Though none of the government agencies has yet initiated a probe into the functioning of the centre, investigations revealed that no healthcare worker or medical professional has been deployed to attend to inmates.

Inmates who were present did not come forward to complain against people managing the centre. According to sources, the centre was established around seven months ago and 24 drug addicts were admitted there.

Thirteen inmates had lodged a complaint with the Civil Surgeon, Ludhiana, on Tuesday alleging that they had been tortured on the pretext of de-addiction and not allowed to talk to their parents freely.

It was also reported that earlier, some people running the centre were involved in the functioning of an illegal de-addiction centre in Alamgir. The Dehlon police had booked them for kidnapping and illegally detaining around 45 youths in August 2018.

Officials of the Mullanpur Municipal Council said only one de-addiction centre, situated on GT Road, was registered and no other establishment had got sanction for opening such a centre. Executive Magistrate Raman Kumar said no information regarding investigation or action against the centre was received from the authorities at the district level.

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