Youth who died mysteriously at drug de-addiction centre in Gujarat's Patan was murdered, say police; administrator among 6 held

The youth had died under mysterious circumstances on 17 February while undergoing rehabilitation at the Jyona Nasha Mukti Kendra after which his maternal uncle lodged a complaint at the B Division police station.

Patan: A youth, who had been undergoing treatment at the de-addiction center in Patan area of Gujarat, and died under mysterious circumstances 20 days ago was actually murdered by six accused including the administrator of the de-addiction centre, police said on Saturday. Police arrested all the six accused after a chilling CCTV footage came to the fore.

As per officials, Hardik Rameshbhai Suthar, a resident of Mehsana, died under mysterious circumstances on 17 February while undergoing rehabilitation at the Jyona Nasha Mukti Kendra run by Charitable Trust Surat. Soon after his death, Sandeep Patel, administrator of the drug de-addiction center, had called Hardik's maternal uncle Chandrakantbhai, who lives in Mehsana, and told him that Hardik died due to “high BP”.

The deceased's family alleged that Hardik was cremated by the accused at Harihar Mahadev's cremation in a hurry in a bid to destroy evidence. After smelling foul, Hardik's maternal uncle lodged a police complaint at the B Division police station. In the subsequent investigation, chilling details came to light from the CCTV footage of the de-addiction centre.

In the CCTV footage, the administrator of the de-addiction centre along with his accomplices is seen beating Hardik with a plastic pipe. The accused are also seen pouring hot fluid on Hardik and even twisting his genitals leaving him unconscious. Following the CCTV revelation, police arrested six accused in the case.

A total of seven persons are accused in the case.They are Sandeep Chhaganbhai Patel, a resident of Kamliwada, Patan, who is the administrator of Jayona De-addiction Center, Jeetu Sawaliya Patel, resident of Bhavnagar, Jainish and Gaurav Machhimar, both from Surat, Mahesh Rathore, a barber from Palanpur, Jayesh Chowdhary of Nagana, district Vadgam and Nitin Chowdhary of Changa, Vadgam.

A police official said that the accused confessed that they have killed the person. Police have registered offenses under sections 302, 201, 147, 48 of IPC and arrested 6 accused, who have been sent to four days police remand by a local court.