PATIALA: Thirty Six youth have been rescued from a  drug de-addiction center by the Global Human Rights Council, an NGO, at Banur in this district here on Monday. The cente was run by the name of Sanskar Drug De-addiction Center on Rajpura-Zirakpur Road.

The Police party along with the team of the council during the raid on the premise of the center found the youths living in terrible conditions. The patients were kept in illegal captivity and were given inhuman treatment by the management. As the council descended on the center, along with a police team, the staffer of the center fled from scenes. Later, a case was registered against the owner of center.

Arvind  Thakur, president of the council stated that the center authorities had no permission from any competent authority to run the center. The inmates were being charged Rs 5000 per head and in return they were being subjected to brutal treatment, he said.  

The center violated the provisions of the mental health act of 1987 as there was no qualified psychiatrist was found on the premises of the center. The center did not even have a valid license or a qualified psychiatrist for running the centers.

As many as five youth had to be taken to the civil hospital of Rajpura as they were severely beaten. The youth stated that beatings and torture were a routine for them. The inmates stated that they were made to sleep without beds on cold floors. They were even made to wash toilets and incase of refusal were awarded corporal punishment frequently.