Rehab centre owner arrested after patient death

The family alleged in the FIR that Rishipal was starved and beaten up multiple times, and the centre was being run from a small rented room without any doctors or counsellors.

New Delhi: The owner of an illegal de-addiction centre in southwest Delhi’s Dichaon Kalan was arrested after a 28-year-old tea seller “mysteriously” died within four days of his admission earlier this month, police said on Friday.

An FIR was registered the next day under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the BNS (Representative photo)

According to police, the deceased was identified as Rishipal, a resident of Manesar who had been struggling with alcohol addiction. Autopsy findings revealed that Rishipal’s body had multiple injuries and none of the staffers at the rehab centre could help establish the sequence of events leading to his death, they added.

Police said the incident was reported by Rao Tula Ram Hospital on December 8, stating that a man named Rishipal had been brought dead to the hospital a day earlier.

Rishipal’s family told HT that the tea-seller wanted to “get better” for his wife and three children, who are aged between three to five years. The family found the rehabilitation centre’s number written on a random wall. They got in touch with the owner, 30-year-old Anuj Kumar, who allegedly claimed that Rishipal would quit alcohol within two months. Kumar allegedly charged a registration fee of ₹1,000, a monthly room rent of ₹8,000. The family said they had paid ₹4,000 as an advance to the centre.

The family members claimed that Anuj showed them videos of his alleged patients, professional doctors, counsellors, medical staff and yoga teachers at the centre.

The family claimed Rishipal was a healthy man, and was admitted to the centre on December 3. Anuj had come to pick up Rishipal along with his associate. Rishipal’s father, Tejpal (61) said: “My biggest fault is that I never went to the centre. I should not have trusted kumar. I called the owner everyday from December 3 to 7. But he did not let me talk to Rishipal, assuring me that Rishipal was getting better with meditation, counselling and medicines. In fact, on the morning of December 7, Kumar even told me that my son would be released before two months. I was happy. But in the evening, I was informed by my nephew that Kumar had informed him that Rishipal had died.”

“I first thought it was a joke. Then I rushed to Rao Tula Ram Hospital and found my son’s body on a stretcher. I called up Kumar but he did not answer. I then approached the police and begged them for an autopsy. I knew my son was killed. There were clear injury marks on his face and body,” Tejpal alleged.

The family alleged in the FIR that Rishipal was starved and beaten up multiple times, and the centre was being run from a small rented room without any doctors or counsellors.

Ankit Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) confirmed that Rishipal had been admitted to the centre. “Rishipal had been admitted to the Rao Tula Ram Hospital by the attendants of the rehabilitation Centre. Due to the suspicion raised by the family members, an autopsy was conducted on December 10,” Singh said.

The DCP added that on December 19, autopsy findings revealed that Rishipal had suffered multiple injuries which led to his death.

“An FIR was registered the next dayunder Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Kumar. He was arrested and sent to judicial custody,” the DCP said.

Investigators added the rehabilitation centre, which had been running without a valid licence, was sealed off.

A senior officer said: “We have seized all documents from the centre. The sequence of events leading to the patient’s death are still not clear. The centre was being run from a two room complex. There are apparently multiple violations. We are also in touch with the welfare department. Kumar also had an associate who helped him with the centre’s operations. We are looking for him.”

Meanwhile, officials from the welfare department said they were looking into the case. No response was received from the minister of social welfare office despite reaching out.