Nine inmates escaped from the Punjab government-run de-addiction centre at Ghabdan, 10km from Sangrur, on Wednesday, marking the third such mass escape at the facility in less than a year.
The group reportedly fled at 10.30am by scaling the washroom grills.
Sangrur civil surgeon Amarjit Kaur said the nine escapees included five individuals booked under the Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and four others who were admitted voluntarily or by their families.
While two inmates have since been traced and brought back, police teams remain deployed to track the remaining seven.
Wednesday’s escape highlights a systemic failure at the Ghabdan centre, which has become notorious for security breaches.
On January 5, 2024, 10 inmates fled the premises under similar circumstances.
On July 21, 2025, eight addicts escaped after a clash during dinner, where they attacked a nurse and a policeman with steel plates.
Despite these incidents, deputy superintendent of police Sukhdev Singh admitted that the administration is only now discussing a different approach to prevent inmates from feeling the urge to flee.
www.hindustantimes.com
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