On Monday, the SHRC directed the Government of Karnataka to shut down all illegal rehabilitation centres and submit an action taken report within a month.
The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has woken up to the threat from the mushrooming rehabilitation and de-addiction centres that are being run without licence.
On Monday, the SHRC directed the Government of Karnataka to shut down all illegal rehabilitation centres and submit an action taken report within a month.
The directive followed a raid by an SHRC team on two such illegal centres in the city on January 24, 2009. About 140 inmates were rescued during the raid.
The city has more than 50 illegal rehabilitation centres, members of the South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) said.
The SHRC team had raided the Safe and Serene Foundation’s rehabilitation centres in Ananda Nagar and Kaval Byrasandra. The inmates were found to be living in abysmal conditions. Some were confined to rooms and beaten.
The raid was conducted following a complaint by A Narayana Swamy of Kolar, whose eccentric son Vishwajit had been admitted to the centre.
While admitting his son, Narayana Swamy had hoped that his son would be counselled and coached for his 10th standard examination. But he was shocked to know of the treatment meted out to him.
The inmates had then claimed that they were made to sit naked in a corner for hours and beaten black and blue with sticks and iron rods. When their parents came to visit they were tutored to speak well about the facilities provided by the owner, Saif Pasha.
“The inmates were being forced to stay on as that was bringing in a huge income of `5 lakh a month. Each person at the centre was paying Rs3,500 a month,” said Prakash Kariyappa of the SICHREM. Such activities were continuing in the city as there were several loopholes in the law, he said and added that the inmates were treated badly and charged exorbitant fees.
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