The District Health and Family Welfare Department slapped a fine of ₹ 1 lakh and sealed a de-addiction centre situated in Bellandur on Monday on the orders of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), which conducted a detailed probe on the alleged torture and inhuman practice meted out to a 45-year-old relator who was admitted there.
The victim was admitted to the Nava Jeevana Foundation by his family in 2022.
Sources in the SHRC said that the probe revealed that though the victim was fine, he was sent to the centre due to a property dispute among his family and relatives. The victim alleged that he was tortured and assaulted every day on the pretext of treatment and was not even allowed to meet his friends.
The victim somehow managed to file a complaint with the SHRC seeking help and detailing the ordeal he was going through. Based on the complaint, a delegation of SHRC officials led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sudhir Hedge, raided the centre and filed a detailed report.
Based on the report, the SHRC recommended the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru district (Urban) to initiate necessary action. The DC set up a team comprising three doctors, who visited the centre, conducted a detailed probe, and recommended action under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Act.
The department, taking cognisance of the report, slapped a fine of ₹ 1 lakh on the centre, and sealed it. .
SHRC sources said that the rehab centre had 82 inmates housed in a 2400 square feet area with 20 beds, five bathrooms and three lavatories.
The rest of the inmates were sleeping on the floor and were forced to do all types of work like cooking, cleaning and other menial work which is against the rules, sources added .
As per the licensing condition, every rehab centre should accommodate a maximum of 40 inmates. It must have one bathroom for every inmate and separate beds with doctors and psychiatrists visiting everyday.
According to the source, due to the lucrative business and loopholes in the system, rehab centres are mushrooming in the city. Sources said that there are around 200 rehab centres in and around Bengaluru mostly owned by businessmen and realtors and some of them charge ₹2,000 per inmate per day.
“Though they have obtained license, they blatantly violate licensing conditions due to lack of monitoring,” the source added.
“It is ironic that the families knowingly or unknowingly admit their members for treatment only for them to be physically tortured and mentally harassed in the garb of treatment, which is a gross violation of human rights. There are instances where inmates have died due to harassment and torture in the recent past, and the police will investigate only the crime, and ignore the human rights violation aspects,” the source said, adding that people who have suffered due to unethical rehab centres can complain to SHRC for respite .
