De-addiction centre operator in Noida held for beating inmate to death

The operator of a de-addiction facility in Noida was arrested on Saturday for allegedly beating an inmate of the centre to death, police officers said

The operator of a de-addiction facility in Noida was arrested on Saturday for allegedly beating an inmate of the centre to death, police officers said.

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The deceased man’s brother was informed by the centre that his brother passed away following an epileptic fit, but when he noticed wounds on the body, he reported the incident to the Sector 113 police station, the officers added.

Pawan Kumar, the operator of Sector 112’s Vishram Foundation De-Addiction Centre, has been identified as the suspect, according to Shakti Avasthy, assistant deputy commissioner of police in Noida.

The victim, Indrajit Singh (30), a resident of Chandra Vihar colony in Delhi, was brought by his relatives to the de-addiction centre in Sector 112 on March 5. According to the relatives, Singh had been dependent on alcohol for the past ten years.

On March 9, Kumar called Indrajit’s brother Sarvjit Singh and told him that Indrajit had fainted after suffering an epileptic fit. After a short while, Sarvjit was informed that his sibling has passed away. The same day, Kumar sent Indrajit’s body to his home in an ambulance, said Avasthy.

According to the officer, Sarvjit found several wounds on the body, including a severe head injury.

“Suspecting foul play, Sarvjit reported the incident to the Sector 113 police station on Friday, and a police team then started an investigation. A CCTV video from the facility, which was collected by the police during its probe, showed Kumar beating the victim with a stick on March 5, between 9am and 1pm, said Sector 112 station house officer Pramod Kumar Prajapati.

Following the initial probe, a first information report (FIR) was filed against Kumar (40) under Indian Penal Code section 302 (murder). He was taken into custody on Saturday in Noida’s Sector 76. The stick that was allegedly used to hit the victim was also recovered from his possession, said officers.

Avasthy said, “Three other FIRs have been filed against Kumar at different police stations in Meerut district, including in an attempt to murder and robbery case .”

The de-addiction centre was established in Sector 112 in a rented building about a year ago, Prajapati said. It currently has 20 inmates. “We have informed relatives of other inmates about the incident and have advised them to take them away,” the SHO said.

He added that Kumar has confessed to beating Indrajit to “discipline” him. “The operator said that beating addicts admitted to the de-addiction center is a regular practice. However, following the attack, Indrajit first fainted and then passed away,” said Prajapati.

Avasthy said a post-mortem examination was conducted, and the report was awaited. He said the suspect has been sent to judicial custody by a local court.