Man’s death at rehab centre sparks allegations of abuse

BALURGHAT: A 26-year-old inmate of a rehabilitation centre in South Dinajpur, died under suspicious circumstances. The family of the deceased, Salauddin Sarkar, lodged a complaint against the centre, alleging physical abuse in the name of de-addiction therapy. The incident occurred at Unmukta Nesha Mukti Kendra in Salash, under Tapan Police Station. According to sources, Salauddin, a resident of Muraripur village in Chandipur Gram Panchayat, was admitted to the facility around 15 days ago to overcome substance abuse.

On Wednesday, the family was informed of his death. The rehab centre claimed that Salauddin fell ill on Tuesday night and was first taken to Tapan Block Hospital. When his condition worsened, he was shifted to Gangarampur Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The police from Gangarampur Station sent the body to Balurghat Hospital morgue for post-mortem. However, due to the sensitive nature of the case, the autopsy was not conducted in Balurghat. The body was sent to Malda Medical College on Thursday for further investigation.

Salauddin’s family, however, suspects foul play. “We admitted him to help him quit drugs but the centre lacked basic facilities like an emergency vehicle. They didn’t inform us until after his death,” said Abdul Razzak, Salauddin’s brother. The family suspects Salauddin was beaten at the facility, leading to his death and has demanded a thorough investigation. Tapan Police Station’s officer-in-charge, MT Lepcha, confirmed: “We have initiated a probe and detained two individuals for questioning.”