CHENNAI: A 39-year-old man who was undergoing treatment at an unlicensed de-addiction centre near Selaiyur died suspiciously. Police have arrested five people, including an administrator of the centre.
The deceased, Arun Kumar (39), of Kancheepuram was admitted to Moon Shine Home, a de-addiction centre at VGP Nagar in Sembakkam near Selaiyur, on August 10th. Arun Kumar attempted to escape from the centre after four days of treatment. The staff and other inmates caught him, assaulted him and tied him to a chair. He subsequently became unconscious and died at the centre.
On information, the Selaiyur police recovered the body and noticed injuries on his hands, legs and other parts of the body. A suspicious death case was registered, and the body was sent for postmortem.
During the preliminary examination, doctors found that suffocation, caused by obstruction of the mouth and nose, was a major factor in the death.
Following this, Selaiyur police inspected the centre and seized CCTV footage. The investigation revealed that Arun Kumar had been tied to a cot and that a cloth had been pressed over his mouth. Police arrested the centre's administrator Manikandan (36), along with four long-term inmates identified as Ezhumalai (40), Gunaseelan (43), Rajasudhakaran (41) and Rajkamal (33). All of them were remanded in judicial custody.
A search is on for the owners and others associated with the centre.