Kin accuse de-addiction centre management of killing inmate

We are sure that my brother was killed by the management of the deaddiction centre. One inmate of the centre, who is from our village said that he saw the accused beating my brother.

The Sriganganagar district police have lodged a murder case against the management of a private de-addiction centre after a 50-year-old man, who was admitted at the centre, was allegedly beaten up to death on Friday.

According to the police, family members of the deceased have blamed the de-addiction centre management of killing him, three days after he was admitted to the facility. “The man, Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Abohar in Punjab, was brought to Sriganganangar on May 2 by his family members and admitted to a private de-addiction centre for curing him of alcoholism,” said Kuldeep Walia, station house officer, Sadar police station, Sriganganagar. The police said that after his family members returned to Punjab, they lost touch with Sukhdev, who couldn’t be contacted over phone.

“On the night of Friday, the family members got news that Sukhdev was unwell and came to Sriganganagar. By the time they arrived, Sukhdev had died and his body was kept in the mortuary. The family members have alleged foul play in the whole matter,” said Walia.

Sharanpreet Singh, brother of the deceased, told HT that they were certain that Sukhdev was murdered by the de-addiction centre management.

“In the mortuary, we noticed several injuries on his (Sukhdev Singh’s) body, which could only have been caused by severe beating. We are sure that my brother was killed by the management of the de-addiction centre. One inmate of the centre, who is from our village said that he saw the accused beating my brother,” Sharanpreet told HT.

Sharanpreet said that the family had heard about the facility from an acquaintance in Punjab, but had never thought that the management will subject his brother to violence in order to cure him of alcoholism.

The Sadar police have registered a case against several people of the de-addiction centre under section 302 (murder) of the IPC and started investigations.