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Nine inmates escape Punjab rehab centre in Sangrur, third mass escape in a year
Nine inmates escaped from the Punjab government-run de-addiction centre at Ghabdan, near Sangrur, at around 10:30 am on May 6, 2026, by scaling the washroom grills. This is the facility’s third mass escape in less than a year, following incidents on January 5, 2024 and July 21, 2025.
Why It Matters
The repeated security breaches at the rehabilitation centre raise concerns about safety, oversight, and containment of inmates, prompting discussions of new preventive measures.
Timeline
5 Events
Official response and proposed changes
May 7, 2026
Officials acknowledged a systemic failure at the Ghabdan centre and said the administration is discussing a different approach to prevent inmates from feeling the urge to flee.
Status after the May 2026 escape
May 7, 2026
Two inmates have been traced and brought back; police teams remain deployed to track the remaining seven.
Escape at Ghabdan rehab centre by nine inmates
May 6, 2026
Nine inmates escaped from the Punjab government-run de-addiction centre at Ghabdan, about 10 km from Sangrur, at around 10:30 am on Wednesday by scaling the washroom grills. The group included five inmates booked under the Narcotic Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and four others admitted voluntarily or by their families.
Another mass escape from the facility
July 21, 2025
On July 21, 2025, eight addicts escaped after a clash during dinner, where they attacked a nurse and a policeman with steel plates.
Earlier mass escapes at the Ghabdan centre
January 5, 2024
On January 5, 2024, ten inmates fled the premises under similar circumstances.