8 addicts lock up, thrash staff, escape from govt rehab in Moga

SEVEN OF THEM WERE ADMITTED TWO DAYS EARLIER, 2 RETURNED ON THURSDAY AFTER KIN MOTIVATED THEM

MOGA: The district administration and police faced a major embarrassment after eight drug addicts assaulted and locked up the staff, and escaped from the rehabilitation centre run by Red Cross Society at Janer village in Moga late on Wednesday.

Six of the escapees are from Moga district, while one is from Ferozepur and the eighth from Jalandhar district, all aged 20-30. Seven of them were admitted two days ago while one was under treatment for 50 days. An official said on the condition of anonymity that two of them returned on Thursday after their parents motivated them again.

Staff was giving medicine to the patients when they locked them inside the medical room and later thrashed a security guard, locking him into another room after getting keys of the main gate from him. The escapees also damaged the bikes of the staff, who informed the deputy commissioner, Dilraj Singh.

The project co-ordinator at the centre, Balwant Singh, said, “We have filed a complaint with the police against the men for legal action.”

Deputy superintendent of police Ajay Raj Singh said, “We have alerted the parents of the addicts and also started legal action against them on the complaint by the staff. Two of them also stole a bike from a village.”

Parents of one of the men who were readmitted said their son alleged that proper drug dose was not given to him which led to body ache that led to the escape.

This is the same centre from which health minister Brahm Mohindra kickstarted a pilot project of outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) last year.