Bengaluru: Rehab centres are meant to be places where individuals struggling with drugs and alcohol can find support to heal and reclaim their lives. However, in Bengaluru, a grim reality has come to the fore at many of these “de-addiction centres” that have morphed into places of abuse, illegal confinement, and human rights violations.Cases have been registered at Madanayakanahalli police station against these errant rehab centres after simultaneous raids were carried out at five of these facilities in north Bengaluru by the State Human Rights Commission on Wednesday.What the raids at these centres in Dasanapura, Makali, Chikkabanavara and on Magadi Main Road revealed was no less than a living hell: Overcrowded rooms, inhumane living conditions, and most shockingly – boarders locked up and thrashed, not for addiction but simply because they were too inconvenient to handle.Those dumped at these centres for nearly two years included a minor boy who was disowned by his family for getting into a relationship with a girl.Police sources said the raids, conducted by a team led by ADGP Devajyoti Ray and that included DySPs Sudheer M Hegde and Mohan SY, were triggered by complaints, including a recent TV channel expose, pertaining to harassment and assault of inmates, with some having disappeared from the centres over time.Of the five rehab centres, four were in a miserable state. In the rehab centre at Makali, officials found two inmates with severe injuries. Their wounds were so deep, that they were made to sleep with just a cloth-covering on their bodies.At another centre, a 58-year-old man was admitted by his family after a property dispute. He was locked up and thrashed at the centre.“If rehabilitation centres admit persons having civil disputes, it is a gross violation of human rights. Moreover, the centre had around 52 inmates and was overcrowded,” a police officer said. Some of the boarders had not seen sunlight for a long time and were forced to live in unhygienic conditions.At another centre, around 72 inmates were accommodated in a 20×30 ft hall, with just one bathroom and four toilets. “There were hardly 20 beds for all 72 to share,” said another senior officer, adding: “The inmates at three rehabilitation centres were served only rice and sambar. There was no doctor, nurse, or psychiatrist at the centres.”“We will be filing a report soon and will also seeking cancellation of licences of these centres,” the officer added.