Police arrested the owner and staff members of an alcohol de-addiction and rehabilitation centre in Bengaluru for allegedly killing one of the inmates.

The deceased identified as P Santhosh, was one of the 28 inmates in Kamala Foundation Rehabilitation Centre in Uttarahalli area on the outskirts of Bengaluru, according to a report in the Bangalore Mirror. His body was found in the premises last week.

According to Kaggalipura police, Pradeep Naik, the owner of the rehab centre and three employees Bharath, Anand and Kale Gowda were arrested after Santhosh’s family members accused them of torture and abuse. The family alleged that the 33-year-old was forced to work in the kitchen even as he complained about it.

According to the BM report, the victim’s family received a call from the centre informing them about Santhosh’s death on October 9. They allegedly said that he died of chest and stomach ache. Santhosh’s father who is a retired cook from Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) filed a complaint with Kaggalipura police on the same day.

In the course of investigation, police reportedly discovered that the centre was not registered and did not have a license or trained personnel. They handed over the rest of the 28 inmates to their respective families and guardians, and sealed the centre.

“The victim was beaten to death inside the rehabilitation centre and we have also recovered the logs that were used to kill him,” Ramanagar DySP M K Thammaiah told BM.

The Kaggalipura police registered a case of murder, and the persons arrested were remanded in judicial custody.