New Delhi: Nearly two months after a chemical engineer allegedly murdered an inmate at a de-addiction centre in Outer Delhi’s Alipur, police have formally written to the ministry of social justice and empowerment and Delhi govt, seeking action against the facility.Police sources said a detailed report has been submitted regarding the incident, which has raised serious concerns about the centre’s functioning and its compliance with statutory norms.“In the report, investigators have reportedly flagged suspicions that the facility was operating without a valid licence and may have been running in violation of mandatory regulations,” sources said.Cops further noted that preliminary findings point to multiple administrative and safety lapses at the centre, including inadequate security arrangements for residents.According to sources, immediately after the murder, police had instructed the management of the de-addiction centre to furnish complete documentation pertaining to its operations, including valid licensing and authorisation to run such a rehabilitation facility. However, cops said the response submitted by the management was found to be unsatisfactory and did not adequately address key compliance-related queries raised by investigators.The incident itself occurred in the early hours of March 27, around 3 am, when Arun Kumar (22), a resident of Burari, was discovered in a critically injured condition at the de-addiction centre in Alipur. He was rushed to hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.Police have since arrested Arun Joshi, a chemical engineer, in connection with the case. During interrogation, Joshi allegedly told investigators that the attack stemmed from a plan to take revenge following a verbal altercation between the two a few days earlier, during which Kumar is said to have abused him, triggering resentment.An officer privy to the investigation said the assault took place while Kumar was asleep inside the facility. Joshi allegedly entered the area where the victim was resting and attacked him with a knife, slitting his throat. At the time of the incident, around 27 patients were staying at the centre, and security personnel were also deployed on the premises.Family members of the deceased, speaking to TOI earlier, had questioned how the accused managed to obtain a knife and carry out the fatal assault within the de-addiction centre. Arun’s sister, Varsha had said, “Everything sent to Arun used to be checked, so why wasn’t the knife detected?,” she added.
