FIR filed after sarpanch dies at de-addiction centre family alleges torture

Sultanpur Lodhi: Family of the Kapurthala's Kabirpur village sarpanch, who died on Monday at a private de-addiction centre in Goindwal Sahib town of Tarn Taran, has claimed that he was tortured there during the treatment. An alcoholic, 47-year-old Jasbir Singh was admitted to the centre on June 22.
Those running the rehabilitation facility absconded after his death.
Jasbir's family members also alleged that other inmates of the centre revealed that there were poor medical facilities. A case under Section 174 (unnatural death) of the CrPC has been registered at Goindwal Sahib police station and autopsy was conducted to find out the exact cause of his death.
"We received a call at around 9 pm on Monday that Jasbir was not well and was being shifted to Tarn Taran civil hospital. We were on our way when we were told that he had died. We reached the hospital where doctors informed us that he was already dead when brought to them," said Jasbir's nephew Sukhwinder Singh.
"When we talked to another inmate of the centre called Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa Gurmat Parchar Sanstha, we learnt that Jasbir had died in the forenoon. We were informed much later," alleged Sultanpur Lodhi resident Jasbir Singh, a close relative of the deceased.
"From its name, it appeared to be a well-meaning and dedicated NGO but later we learnt that it was private centre of an individual," he said.
"We also found that there were marks of torture on Jasbir's body so we complained to the police. The employees of the centre had run away from the hospital," Jasbir alleged, while adding that when they later visited the centre, they found that it was in a pretty bad shape and there was little in the name of medical support.
"Our inquiries also revealed that addicts were made to sit outside in scorching sun for a few hours in the day and they were also regularly thrashed," he alleged.
The kin of the deceased said that Jasbir's drinking problem had a bad social and financial impact on the entire family, they said.