The mysterious death of a 27-year-old man undergoing treatment at a private de-addiction centre in Kumarghat under Unakoti district of Tripura has triggered widespread outrage, with his family alleging that he was subjected to physical torture and died due to abuse in the name of treatment.
The deceased, identified as Ranjan Sharma, was a resident of Jalebasa Barabari area in Panisagar, North Tripura. According to his family, he had been admitted to the 'SANITY' De-addiction Centre in Kumarghat around three months ago for treatment.
Family members alleged that despite repeatedly requesting permission to meet Ranjan, the authorities at the centre kept postponing the visits, claiming they would be allowed only after 45 days. However, they said they were never permitted to see him during his stay.
The family further alleged that the centre collected more than Rs 70,000 for treatment but instead subjected Ranjan to physical abuse, ultimately leading to his death. These allegations have not been independently verified.
According to the family, they received a phone call from the centre on Monday informing them that Ranjan was experiencing breathing difficulties. Barely five minutes later, they were informed that he had died. He was subsequently taken to Kumarghat Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors reportedly declared him brought dead despite efforts to revive him.
On receiving the news, Ranjan's parents, wife, brother and other relatives rushed to the hospital on Monday night, only to learn that he had already been declared dead.
The bereaved family has lodged a formal complaint against the de-addiction centre at Kumarghat Police Station, demanding a thorough investigation into the incident. They also pointed out that similar allegations had surfaced against de-addiction centres in the past.
The body has been sent to Fatikroy Hospital for post-mortem examination and is expected to be handed over to the family on Tuesday.
Police have registered the complaint, and further investigation is underway. Authorities are expected to ascertain the exact cause and circumstances of Ranjan Sharma's death following the post-mortem report and the outcome of the investigation. Meanwhile, the incident has sparked intense allegations and counter-allegations, drawing attention to the functioning of private de-addiction centres in the state.