SRINAGAR: A 26-year-old, youth identified as Sonu, son of Kulwant Singh from Punjab, was allegedly beaten to death at an illegal drugs de-addiction centre run by a Punjab-based person.
Excelsior reported that the deceased’s sister said that her brother was admitted to New Hope Life Care Centre at Hatli Morh, Kathua, operated by Jatinder Kumar from Jalandhar, Punjab.
” Sonu was beaten mercilessly by the management and left unconscious without any treatment. The staff fled, leaving the body behind. The family rushed him to GMC Kathua, where the postmortem was conducted, and the body was handed over for last rites. Kathua police have registered a case,” she said.
The newspaper further reported that the centre was operating illegally without any medical staff, treating 25 drug-addicted youths from Punjab since April 2024. The police collected evidence from the scene.
Family of the deceased are demanding justice and a magisterial inquiry. They questioned how the centre operated for three months without intervention from Kathua administration. She expressed her anguish over paying a large sum to save her brother, only for him to be killed brutally.
Reports further suggest that nearly a dozen illegal centres are functioning in Kathua district.