A 37-year-old man died after being assaulted at the Navajeevan Rehabilitation Centre, located on Bank Road in Kalaiya Sub-Metropolitan City-1. The victim, Pradip Prasad Mandal, also known as Dhirendra, had been admitted to the rehabilitation centre two weeks prior.

According to police, the assault occurred after Mandal refused to endure physical punishment for breaking the centre’s disciplinary rules.

Superintendent of Police for Bara District, Santosh Tamang, stated that evidence suggests Mandal was punched in the face. “The victim was assaulted in a room at midnight on Thursday. The perpetrators instructed him to sit in a ‘murga’ position, a stressful posture used as corporal punishment, which he refused. This refusal led to the assault, during which he was severely beaten,” Tamang said.

Mandal had been admitted to the rehabilitation centre by his family just two weeks earlier. The centre’s counsellor was also involved in the assault.

After losing consciousness, Mandal was first rushed to City Hospital in Kalaiya for treatment, then transferred to Provincial Hospital. He was pronounced dead upon arrival.

A preliminary investigation by the police revealed that seven individuals were directly involved in the assault, including the manager and counsellor of the centre.

The manager’s brother, Tamanna Mansur, testified that the rehabilitation centre was not registered with the district administration office, according to one member of the investigation team.

“The accused have been granted seven days’ remand for further investigation. This is a highly sensitive case, and we will release more details soon,” said Inspector Rajesh Khatri.

After a thorough examination at Kalaiya Provincial Hospital, the body was handed over to Mandal’s family.

Although Saheb Babu Mansur, a resident of Kalaiya-3, established the centre, his brother Tamanna Mansur had been overseeing it. Tamanna Mansur is reportedly out of contact. Other arrestees include Arun Sarraf, 24, and Sagar Gupta, 19, both from Ward 1, Parameshwar Shah, 21, from Ward 2, Sarfaraz Mansuri, 19, from Ward 3, Niraj Sarraf, 22, from Ward 4, and Mahammad Aashu Miya, 20, from Ward 6 of Kalaiya.