NAGAPATTINAM: Hours after the death of an inmate allegedly due to assault, a private de-addiction centre at Vedaranyam in the district was shut on Wednesday night. The 26 inmates were shifted to safety.
According to sources, four inmates of Priyam De-Addiction cum Rehabilitation Center tried to escape in the wee hours of Wednesday. The supervisors, however, caught them and assaulted them, in which V Murugesan (49) of Karaiyankadu in Tiruvarur district succumbed to injuries at Vedaranyam General Hospital. The other three sustained grievous injuries, sources added.
On information from the hospital, district Superintendent of Police (SP) Harsh Singh visited the de-addiction centre and inquired with the inmates about their well-being. The inmates alleged torture and assault by the supervisors.
Following this, the three injured inmates were admitted to the general hospital while the supervisors were arrested and booked by the Vedaranyam police on charges of murdering Murugesan. Based on the recommendations of district collector Johny Tom Varghese and the SP, the de-addiction centre of six years was shut on Wednesday night by a team led by Vedaranyam RDO V Mathiyazhagan, Vedaranyam tahsildar R Jeyaseelan and Vedaranyam DSP C Subash Chandra Bose.
Of the 26 remaining inmates, nine were shifted to Nagapattinam General Hospital and later sent to their families. The rest of the inmates were accommodated at the multipurpose evacuation centre in Agasthiyampalli.
Assaulted while trying to escape?
According to sources, four inmates tried to escape in the early hours of Wednesday. The supervisors caught them and allegedly assaulted them, in which one of the inmates sustained serious injuries and died at Vedaranyam General Hospital.