BENGALURU: The 60-year-old owner of a rehabilitation centre was murdered on the first floor of the centre, allegedly by a group of men undergoing treatment, between 1pm and 1.30pm Friday. The accused escaped in the victim’s car and two-wheeler after the murder. The motive behind the murder is yet to be ascertained.
Eight men undergoing treatment at the centre have gone missing after the incident. It is not clear if all those missing are behind the murder or some of them escaped after the incident.
The victim, Shivalingaiah, was running New Life Rehab Centre in Chandra Layout for the past six years.The centre was providing treatment for alcohol and drug abuse, psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation.
The main accused, Nithin, was admitted to the centre 16 months ago. After gaining Shivalingaiah’s trust, he started working as incharge of the centre.
Treatment methods at facility under scrutiny after incident
The rehab centre functions from a two-storey building. Before killing Shivalingaiah, the accused had bolted the doors of the other rooms on the second floor to ensure nobody came to help the victim. They brutally assaulted the victim with an iron rod and hacked him to death.The accused also attacked another patient on the first floor. The injured is undergoing treatment in a nearby hospital.
One of the accused in the group is said to be a minor. Police suspect the involvement of two others, Karthik and Suhail Pasha, along with Nithin. “It appears that the murder was planned.
Most patients in such rehab centres try to escape because of the treatment.The accused may only have wanted to escape from the treatment, and killed him.We will also investigate the kind of treatment being provided as many such patients are badly beaten when they don’t cooperate,” said an officer. Chandra Layout police are investigating.