STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Association of Drug Rehabilitation Centres of Assam (ADRCA) on Saturday addressed the media to counter allegations made by Bornali Baishya, founder of Shristi Wellness Home, asserting that the claims stemmed from personal animosity and lacked factual basis.
Speaking to The Sentinel, ADRCA secretary Riku Kashyap stated that Shristi Wellness Home had been operating unlawfully as an unregistered rehabilitation facility. He said the centre had also violated government standard operating procedures (SOP) by housing male and female inmates within the same premises with shared access, which was expressly prohibited under existing norms.
Kashyap further alleged that the confidentiality of patients had been compromised, claiming that images and identities of inmates were shared on social media platforms linked to Baishya, in direct violation of ethical guidelines governing rehabilitation centres. He said such actions undermined the dignity and privacy of vulnerable individuals undergoing treatment.
Referring to past developments, Kashyap said Baishya’s repeated personal disputes with other rehabilitation centres had earlier compelled government authorities to conduct inspections and frame a formal SOP for the sector. He added that following her arrest and release in an earlier case, she had uploaded a series of online videos targeting specific individuals as an act of retaliation. The ADRCA secretary maintained that the allegations were baseless and said the association possessed evidence indicating that Baishya herself was consuming substances during the period in question. He claimed that testimonies and visible injury marks, as shown by female inmates, supported their stand. According to Kashyap, a formal complaint had already been lodged with the police regarding the illegal functioning of the centre, leading to further action by the authorities.
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