Living Free Foundation, where patients were tortured and poorly fed, flaunted an ISO certificate for management standards as a licence

The founder of a de–addiction centre near Alibaug, where patients were kept in appalling conditions and "tortured",doesnothavealicenceora qualified medical team to run a rehab clinic, it emerged on Sunday.

Addiction is considered a mental illness and is covered under the central government’s Mental Health Act. One needs to obtain permissions from central authorities and the state health department to open a de–addiction centre.

But Pritam Datta, the founder and CEO of ‘Living Free Foundation’ in Awas, did not secure a single clearance or make an effort to hire certified psychiatrists and counsellors, health officials said.

His centre, which charged up to 25,000 a month for treating alcoholics and drug addicts, flaunted an ISO certificate for management standards as a licence.

Datta was arrested on Saturday after the Mandwa police raided the centre following complaints that the patients were housed in filthy conditions, tied to chairs and cots, kept in isolation for days and routinely thrashed. Seventy–four teenaged boys were rescued from the place. Of these, 49 have told the policethattheyenduredweeksoftorment.Eleven boys, in fact, have marks of injuries they seem to have suffered recently.

Datta has been booked for assault, intimidation, illegal confinement and breach of contract, among other charges. The 50–yearold, however, was freed on bail on Sunday.

As the news of the alleged abuse at Living Free Foundation spread, many people rushed to the centre to take their children and relatives home. But the centre has not shut down as a group of people decided to continue their family members’ treatment. Policemen have beendeployedtheretopreventfurtherabuse.

"Those who didn’t want to take their childrenhomehavesubmittedstatementstaking responsibility of their actions," said Deputy Superintendent of Police (Raigad) Prashant Bagade. "We have written to relevant authorities to probe the case further as we do not have the powers to close the centre."

Until Saturday, Living Free Foundation had more than 100 patients, many of who had been under treatment for addiction for more than a year. The alleged physical and mental abuse at the centre came to light after Rashmi Verma, the mother of a former inmate, approached police officials on Friday.

Verma,52,accompaniedbyagroupofformer inmates, told the Alibaug police that patients were being tortured and illegally detained at the centre. The next day, the Mandwapolice,underwhosejurisdictionthe centre falls, took over the case and carried out a raid. They discovered that many teenaged patients were tied up to chairs as "punishment" and kept in filthy rooms.

Apartfrombeatinguptheboyswithsticks, Datta and his staff allegedly did not provide them adequate food and did not allow them to meet their parents for months.

The boys were given only two minutes to usethetoiletsandthebathhouseeverymorning. Any inmate who broke this rule was not allowed to use the bathhouse for weeks.

Dr Harish Shetty, a member of the State Mental Health Authority, said that Datta, who once struggled with addiction, was not adequately qualified to run a rehab clinic.

"Addiction is classified as a psychiatric illness. One has to obtain permissions from the state before opening a de–addiction centre. But Living Free Foundation does not have a licence," Dr Shetty said. "Moreover, the centre does not have a qualified team of counsellors or psychiatrists."

The State Mental Health Authority is a state–appointed body. Addicts are generally kept in rehab for three months. Living Free Foundation, however, kept patients for up to two years.