Gujarat: Liquor-drug addict beaten to death at deaddiction center
What's the story
A man—undergoing drug and liquor addiction treatment at a deaddiction center in Gujarat's Patan—reportedly died after being brutally thrashed by seven people, including the facility's manager, last month.
The victim, Hardik Suthar, hailed from Gujarat's Mehsana, and his death was passed off as natural by the center.
However, the police learned about the murder after reviewing the CCTV footage as part of the probe.
Details
Bone-chilling CCTV visuals of Suthar's death
In what can be described as very unsettling and bone-chilling CCTV visuals, Suthar could be seen getting beaten up with a plastic pipe by the accused while both his legs and hands are tied up.
The Times of India reported the victim—who was thrashed for over 90 minutes—was admitted to Patan's Jyona Nasha Mukti Kendra, run by a Surat-based charitable trust, six months ago.
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Incident that led to victim's death
Mehul Patel, police inspector of Patan's B Division Police Station, who is probing the case, said Suthar tried to slit his wrist in the center's bathroom on February 17.
Following this, the facility manager and other accused thrashed him for nearly two hours.
Patel revealed they also poured molten hot liquid from a plastic pipe on Suthar's private parts and burned his pubic hair.
Quotes
Victim thrashed with plastic pipe: Police
"Suthar went to the bathroom and tried to slit his wrist. The facility's manager Sandeep Patel and seven-eight other people then tied his hands and legs...brutally thrashed him with a thick plastic pipe for nearly two hours," Patel said.
"Of these, two of them even burnt a portion of the pipe with a lighter...poured the hot liquid on Suthar's private parts," he added.
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Sandeep told Suthar's family he died due to low BP
After Suthar's death, the facility's manager Sandeep and the other accused brought him to a private hospital in a car, where the doctors denied to admit him. As a result, they reportedly kept the body in Sandeep's car for the entire night.
The next day, the manager allegedly called Suthar's maternal uncle and informed him that he had died due to low blood pressure.
Further information
7 arrested so far in case
The police have arrested Patel and six other individuals in the murder case, which was filed based on a complaint by Suthar's uncle, while a further probe is underway.
The cops identified the apprehended individuals as Jainish, Gaurav Macchimar, Jitu Patel, Mahesh Rathore, Nitin Chaudhary, and Jayesh Chaudhary.
According to reports, some of these accused persons allegedly worked as attendants at the de-addiction center.