Dehradun: Inmates of drug rehab sexually assaulted, director arrested

Dehradun: Inmates of a private de-addiction centre here were allegedly sexually assaulted and raped by its manager and subjected to inhuman treatment when they resisted.

The director of the drug rehab, a woman, has been arrested while its manager is on the run, Clement Town Station House Officer (SHO) D S Rautela said on Monday.

On Friday, four women inmates of the drug rehab locked the director in her chamber and recounted their ordeal to the police.

According to their complaint, the manager of the rehab raped the inmates for months after drugging them in collusion with the director.

Inmates who objected used to be beaten up with sticks or made to sit on sharp edged stools or broken bricks for hours as punishment, the SHO said.

An FIR was lodged at the Clement Town police station in connection with the case and the director of the drug rehab Vibha Singh arrested.

A search is on to nab the manager of the drug rehab Vidyadutt Raturi who is absconding, Rautela said.

Three women inmates have complained of sexual assault while one has charged the manager with rape, he said, adding her medical examination report is awaited.

Raturi ‘s mobile phone is switched off. His ancestral home at Srinagar in Pauri district was also raided on Sunday but he was not found.

Both Singh and Raturi have worked at other de-addiction centres in the past. “We are looking into their antecedents to see if they have a criminal record,” the SHO said.