As part of the preventive measures to ensure peaceful Lok Sabha elections, the Bangalore district police have remanded 13 habitual offenders in judicial custody.
Inspector General of police (Central range) Syed Ulfath Hussain said they are among 20 rowdies booked under the Goonda Act as per the jurisdictional magistrate’s order. Efforts are on to track down the rest, he said.
The district police had submitted a proposal to the district magistrate seeking permission to arrest 44 rowdies. Of these, the magistrate cleared 20 names and the remaining are under consideration, Mr. Hussain said.
Apart from this, police have rounded up 664 habitual offenders on the instructions of the Election Commission. Police collected their fingerprints and other details. They have been released with a stern warning not to indulge in anti-social activities. Out of the 664, the police have obtained an undertaking from 529 persons that they would not engage in any illegal activity.
Even before the Election Commission’s instructions, Mr Hussain said the district police were keeping tabs on anti-social elements following the murder of Zilla Panchayat member BEML Krishnappa allegedly by Bettanagere Seena and his associates in July last year. Because of this, the crime rate, especially serious crimes like murder, robbery, extortion and house breaks, had reduced considerably, Mr. Hussain said.
