More than a month after the Muktsar district police, along with Health Department officials, busted an illegal drug rehabilitation centre operating from the basement of a shop at Panniwala Fatta village in the Lambi Assembly segment here on March 26 and booked four persons in connection with the case, no arrests have been made so far.During the raid, the joint team had rescued 73 inmates, including a few minors. They were admitted to various civil hospitals across the district for treatment and were later discharged.The Kabarwala police had registered a case under Sections 127, 318 and 115(2) of the BNS against Sandeep Kumar of Malout, Harpal Singh of Arniwala Wazira village, Satpal Singh of Khane Ki Dhabh village, all in Muktsar district, and Karan of Bathinda.Harpreet Kaur, Station House Officer, said, “No arrests have been made so far, but efforts are underway.”Members of the raiding team had earlier described the conditions inside the facility as “inhumane”. Officials said the inmates were confined to a poorly ventilated basement without adequate bedding or basic amenities.“There was hardly any ventilation and no beds for the inmates. Only two washrooms were available, and inmates told us they were sometimes not allowed to use them for up to 24 hours. In such conditions, they were made to meditate as per a chart displaying scheduled daily activities,” an official said.The rescued inmates also alleged physical abuse and mental torture at the unauthorised centre, where families were reportedly charged between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 per month.


