Surat, March 5 A 32-year-old man who was receiving treatment at a de-addiction facility in Surat, Gujarat, was allegedly beaten to death by four staff members after he refused to take medication, a police official said.
According to a police statement, the incident occurred at the Reeva Vyasan Mukti and Rehab Centre, located in the Dumas area of Surat.
The four individuals allegedly responsible for the death of Dhaval Rathod (32), who had been admitted to the facility for addiction treatment on February 28, include two counselors, a ward boy, and a driver, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Shweta Daniel.
"They assaulted Rathod after he refused to take medication. On the night of March 1, Rathod was taken to the New Civil Hospital in an ambulance after his condition worsened. The on-duty doctor there pronounced him dead. However, police noticed injury marks, after which the body was sent for an autopsy," Daniel said.
"The autopsy revealed that Rathod died due to injuries he sustained to his head, waist, and other parts of his body. Police thoroughly questioned the staff and other patients at the facility. It was revealed that the accused had a confrontation with Rathod because he was refusing to take medication. They beat him up with sticks," the ACP said.
Jignesh Desai, Rohan Sanghani, Shailesh Vaghela, and Dilip Joshi were arrested and charged with murder and other offenses, police said.