Kathua: A 26-year-old man, identified as Sonu, son of Kulwant Singh from Punjab, was allegedly beaten to death at an illegal drug de-addiction center in Jammu’s Kathua. The center was run by Jatinder Kumar, a resident of Jalandhar, Punjab.
According to the victim’s sister, Sonu was admitted to the New Hope Life Care Centre at Hatli Morh, Kathua.
“Sonu was beaten mercilessly by the management and left unconscious without any treatment. The staff fled, leaving his body behind,” she said.
“The family rushed him to GMC Kathua, where a postmortem was conducted, and the body was handed over for the last rites. The Kathua police have registered a case,” she added.
According to media reports, the center was operating illegally without medical staff and had been treating 25 drug-addicted youths from Punjab since April 2024.
The police have collected evidence from the scene. The family of the deceased is demanding justice and a magisterial inquiry. They are questioning how the center was allowed to operate for three months without intervention from the Kathua administration.