34 rescued from ‘illegal’ pvt rehab centre in Punjab

As part of the Punjab Government’s ongoing Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign, the Jalandhar administration conducted a raid on an “illegally run” private de-addiction centre today.

During the raid, conducted following a complaint, a joint inspection team comprising civil, health and police officials rescued 34 persons, most of them youths, from the centre and sealed the premises.

As many as 15 youths were found positive in dope tests. All 34 rescued were admitted to the drug de-addiction centre at the Civil Hospital. Later, 26 were discharged after their families came to take them. The remaining eight are still admitted. Those tested positive had only traces of tramadol.

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said during the raid conducted at Jamsher, it was found that a centre was being run illegally under the name of Sahibzada Fateh Singh Gurmat Vidyalaya. He said all 34 persons kept there illegally were rescued and sent to the government-run de-addiction centre at the Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, for proper treatment. The centre was sealed and legal action would be taken in the matter, he said.

Sources said no drugs, medicines or medical equipment was found at the centre.

The raiding team included Deputy Medical Commissioner Dr Jaswinder Singh, Naib Tehsildar Vipin, SMO Dr Mandeep Kaur, Dr Abhairaj Singh, Drug Inspector Parminder Singh and SHO Jamsher Sanjeev Suri.

Speaking to The Tribune, Dr Jaswinder Singh said, “An anonymous complaint was received by the DC that a centre was keeping people captive. After a raid, 34 were rescued, some of whom tested positive for dope. A report in this regard will be submitted by the raiding team following which action, if any, will be taken.”

The sources said all youths found inside the centre were medically stable. The centre management claimed that “putting the youths on the path of religion is our way of weaning them away from drugs”. No other treatment was being provided and drugs were not accessible to them there.

The sources said at the centre, the rescued youths said they did not want to leave, but later they confided that they were being “kept captive”.

During the investigation, it was found that some of the youths were earlier using drugs. Most of those rescued were aged between 25 and 30 years. However, two of them were above 60.

Jamsher SHO Sanjeev Suri said, “So far, no FIR has been registered.”

Punjab