Indian rehab says Maldivian escaped
He had gone in to the woods and had disappeared within a few minutes.
By
Aminath Shifleen
A Maldivian man has been missing from a drug rehabilitation centre in Bangalore, India for over a month and a half and the rehabilitation centre has said on Sunday that the man had run away.
Abdullah Aalim went missing from 'Blossoms Convalescent Care' in Bangalore, which treats various addictions like alcohol and gambling, on 8 January. Since then, they have tried their best to find him, but there is still no news.
Several media outlets had earlier reported, quoting his family, that Aalim had gone missing from when he was sent for a walk outside.
However, the rehab, which treated the 36-year-old, said he had escaped.
Cecil George, CEO of 'Blossoms Care', told Atoll Times on Sunday that the young man, who was undergoing treatment for drugs, fled when the door had been opened that morning to let the garbage out. Aalim ran away, he said, after pushing the employee who was present there at the time.
"It happened in a very short span of time. When the door was opened to dump garbage, he ran off," George said.
He said that some of the staff members followed Aalim and went out in search of him. But he had gone in to the woods and had disappeared within a few minutes.
The head of the rehab, where 12 Maldivians are currently undergoing treatment, said:
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It's been 11 months since Aalim had been undergoing treatment there
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He was taken there by his family; he had cooperated with the treatment until his escaping
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He was also suffering from a mental illness
"His mental illness causes extreme mood swings. The staff who was there when he ran away didnt try grabbing on to him incase he got violent," George said.
He said that even the day before his escape, Aalim was in good shape. George said that Aalim didn't complain about having any trouble.
"On the night of the seventh, I went to him. He is very close to me. Calls me father, too. He said there was nothing bothering him and that everything was satisfactory," George said.
The rehabilitation centre has now lodged a complaint with the Indian police and private investigators to locate Aalim. George had also visited Mysore on Saturday as there were a large number of Maldivians in the city.
According to him, Aalim's mother and brother have asked to go to India on Monday.
"We've done what we've been able to do to find Aalim," George said.
'Blossoms Convalescent Care' is one of the most sought-after facilities for recovering Maldivian addicts. Vice President Faisal Naseem and Gender Minister Dr. Aishath Didi and former health minister Amin also visited.
