SHRC rescues 54 men from illegal de-addiction centre in Bangalore

The state human rights commission raided an alleged illegal de-addiction centre at Akshaya Nagar in Hulimavu late on Monday and rescued 54 persons.

Three men, John Hebri, 24, Alex, 23, and Ramesh 25, were arrested, while four others escaped.

The raid was conducted based on a complaint by a retired assistant sub-inspector of police, Thimmachar, who claimed that he had escaped from the Serenity Rehabilitation Centre.

He told the rights panel that a man, Ravi, kidnapped him from near his house in Arekere on November 11 last. The complainant said he was driven away in a car to an unknown place, where he was assaulted. He was later dumped in the centre.

The rights panel raided the centre around 11 pm, and found 54 persons crammed into the two-room centre. The centre offered two toilets for the
inmates.