Man held for running de-addiction centre without licence in Gurugram

The centre was run by the suspects posing as doctors, and they were charging the 31 inmates exorbitantly for fraudulent treatment, said investigators

Updated on: Oct 6, 2023, 05:32:02 IST

By Leena Dhankhar, Gurugram

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The chief minister’s flying squad and health officials busted a drug de-addiction centre operating without a valid licence in Gurugram’s Sector 5 for the last three years, police officers aware of the matter said on Thursday.

Officials said they sealed the centre and the man running it was arrested on Wednesday. The alleged irregularities were detected in a surprise inspection based on a tip-off. The centre did not have a valid registration number under the Haryana De-addiction Centres Rules, 2010, Amended 2018, to run a de-addiction centre. The suspect and his staff were making fake entries in the patient files as disclosed by the patients, said members of the chief minister’s flying squad.

Deputy superintendent of police Inderjeet Yadav said that they formed a team along with health officials on Tuesday and conducted a raid, and arrested one of the operators from the spot. “The suspect used to charge between ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 for a normal room and between ₹20,000 and ₹30,000 for a room with luxury for the treatment where facilities such as an air conditioner and television was provided. He was duping people on the pretext of providing the treatment,” he said.

Yadav said that 31 drug addicts were found admitted to the centre, which was run without a doctor. The centre operators used to give medicine to inmates themselves without consultation and posed as doctors.

The suspect was identified as Vinay Rathi, a resident of Jhajjar, said police.

Harish Kumar, inspector, CM flying squad, said the suspects were misusing drug de-addiction centres to make money. “The centre was issuing fake prescriptions for medication, which were provided at an exorbitant price,” he said.

Yadav said that people with drug addiction, liquor, injection medical drugs etc, were given treatment for the last three years without a doctor.

Police said during questioning, Rathi revealed that they were prescribing medicines after reading on the internet and what other doctors were using in the centres. “There were three partners, and one has been arrested, and the other two have been identified but yet to get arrested,” he said.

Yadav said following the complaint of Keshav Sharma, deputy civil surgeon, a case was registered against Rathi, Devendra Yadav and Naresh Gehlot under sections 420 (cheating), 342 (wrongful confinement), 347 (wrongfully confines any person for the purpose of extorting), 120-B ( criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at Sector 5 police station on Wednesday. “All the patients were shifted to another drug de-addiction centre,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More