Odisha youth dies in rehab centre, family suspects foul play

Bhubaneswar, Feb 6: A young man undergoing de-addiction treatment at a rehabilitation centre in Bhubaneswar’s Jharpada area passed away under mysterious circumstances on Thursday.

While his family has alleged that he was murdered over unpaid dues, the rehab centre claims he succumbed to an illness.

The deceased, identified as Prashant Nayak from Nayagarh district, had been receiving treatment at the facility for about six months. According to his mother, the family had already paid ₹2 lakh for his treatment, but the centre allegedly demanded an additional ₹7,000. Unable to afford further payments, she requested the authorities to discharge her son, but they insisted on the pending amount.

On Thursday morning, the rehab centre informed Prashant’s family that he had lost consciousness and was being taken to Capital Hospital. However, upon arrival, the family was told that he had already passed away while being transported.

Suspecting foul play, Prashant’s family accused the rehab staff of beating him to death and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

Denying the allegations, a staff member from the rehab centre claimed that Prashant’s blood pressure had spiked the previous night, and he was given medication. According to them, he appeared stable until morning when he suddenly became unresponsive. The staff immediately rushed him to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.