Eight patients escaped from a de-addiction centre located in Ghabdan village of Sangrur district, Punjab. During their escape, the accused attacked an on-duty policeman, Malkit Singh, and a nurse. Malkit Singh lost consciousness during the attack and was later admitted to the hospital.
The police have launched a manhunt to trace the absconding individuals, with multiple teams actively investigating the matter.It has been revealed that all the escapees were previously apprehended under NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases and were addicts themselves.
They hailed from nearby villages. The police had admitted them to the centre for de-addiction. The escape took place in the evening while the patients were being served food and medication.
Cop and Nurse Assaulted During Escape
According to the report, the accused first attacked the nurse in an attempt to flee. Policeman Malkit Singh stated that he and other staff members tried to stop them, but the patients turned violent. They grabbed him by the neck and hit him in the legs. After that, he lost consciousness and does not recall what happened next.Despite staff efforts, eight individuals managed to escape.
The injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment. Senior police officials have been informed, and an FIR has been registered in the matter.
Repeat Incident: Similar Escape in January.
This isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred at the de-addiction centre. A similar escape took place in January. On the evening of January 7, while patients were having their meals, they broke windowpanes using their plates and fled the facility. Similar cases of escape by admitted patients have also been reported from de-addiction centres in Mohali.