The city police, which has taken up a special drive against rowdyism, has booked seven rowdies under the Goonda Act in September alone. Those arrested under Goonda Act will have to serve a full year in prison without bail, among other stringent penal clauses.
“Our focus is to curb the rowdy menace in the city, and this drive will continue,” said Police Commissioner Kamal Pant.
Nine rowdies were booked under the Goonda Act in 2019. For the most part of this year, the city police were at the frontline of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and not a single case had been booked under Goonda Act this year till September.
“Arresting notorious and incorrigible rowdy elements under the Goonda Act is often more effective than rowdy parades that we do periodically,” a senior police officer said.
Some of the rowdy sheeters booked under the Goonda Act in September are Vinay Kumar, 30, a history sheeter from Mahalakshmi Layout facing 17 cases, including murder and extortion; Dayanand, 28, a history sheeter at Ashok Nagar and Koramangala police stations who is named in over 13 cases; Srikanth, 30, with over 12 cases, including murder and robbery in Malleswaram, Vyalikaval and Mandya.
Police have arrested four rowdy sheeters from D.J. Halli and K.G. Halli under the Goonda Act: Khaleel Ahmed, 35, involved in crimes, including assault, robbery, and kidnap since 2006; Suhail, 34, with seven cases, including attempt to murder, robbery and assault; Rizwan, 35, involved in 14 cases, including murder and robbery apart from threatening witnesses; and Anis Ahmed, 28, involved in 16 cases, including murder and extortion since 2010.