BHOPAL: A raid on an illegally run de-addiction centre in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior unearthed a horror chamber where liquor and drug addicts were treated worse than animals.
During the raid, the team of officials from health, social justice, district administration and police departments was shocked to find some addicts hanging upside down, others tied to a chair and thrashed to disabuse them of addiction. After acting on a tip-off, officials were horrified to see the inhuman condition in which 53 addicts were kept in “a jail-like room”. The centre, set up in 2014, was being run without permission from the social justice department in violation of rules.
SP Harinarayanchari Mishra said, “Each month, Rs 12,000-14,000 were being charged from the family of each addict. The victims were freed and handed over to their parents. Investigations are on and an FIR would be filed after preliminary investigations.” Alarmed, a senior officer at the social justice department sent a letter to the police on Saturday to file an FIR against Satish Vijawargiya, director of the Soham Nasha Mukti Kendra. The raid, which began Friday evening, continued till late night. AD Samnani, joint director at the social justice department, said, “The centre was being run without permission. The kendra did not have any counsellor or medico. They were beating up addicts in violation of norms.”