Mysuru: The City Police seem to have tightened the grip on rowdy-sheeters and those anti-social elements who take shelter at city lodges. While yesterday they conducted ‘Operation Hawk’ that was a surprise inspection of hotels and lodges across the city as part of measures to tighten security, this morning they visited the houses of rowdy-sheeters to make sure that they are not indulging in any criminal activities.

The operation against rowdy-sheeters began at 6 am where separate Police teams knocked the doors, surprising the rowdy-sheeters and their families. Armed with search warrants from Court, Police teams led by their jurisdictional ACPs searched the houses for weapons, phones, documents and explosives.

The Police move comes in the wake of the forthcoming New Year celebrations and in the light of a political murder that rocked Maddur recently.

Police sources said that they want to ensure that the New Year celebration passes off peacefully and for that, the rowdy-sheeters had been warned.

There are three Police Sub-Divisions in city — Narasimharaja, Devaraja and Krishnaraja — and each of them have over 450 to 500 rowdy-sheeters, divided across 18 Police Stations.

The phone numbers and addresses of the rowdy-sheeters were recorded along with their family and business details.

Addressing the rowdy-sheeters, Inspectors warned them of strict action including booking them under Goonda Act. They were warned not to indulge in any illegal activities. The concentration of Police teams was on Jayalakshmipuram Police Station jurisdiction under which Paduvarahalli comes. NR ACP C. Gopal led the operation and said that Paduvarahalli had the highest number of rowdy-sheeters in city.

Two teams under ACP Gopal and Jayalakshmipuram Inspector B.G. Prakash and Hebbal Inspector Guruprasad led the raids from Paduvarahalli First Main to 6th Main, Ganapathi Temple and Maramma Temple surroundings. The raids were on till we went to Press.

Police said that the raids were primarily to check the daily activities of the rowdy-sheeters whether they are indulging in any anti-social activities and weather they have any weapons.

“During the routine rowdy parades, these people claim that they have left all illegal activities. In this surprise raid, we want to make sure that they are on the reforming path,” Police said.

Devaraja ACP M.S. Gajendra Prasad and team raided Alanahalli, Shaktinagar, Raghavendranagar and JSS Layout, Nazarbad Inspector Mahadevaswamy raided the houses of rowdy-sheeters at Kurubarahalli and Nazarbad, Krishnaraja ACP Dharmappa, Inspector Prakash and Vidyaranyapuram Inspector Omkarappa knocked the doors of rowdy-sheeters at Sunnadakeri, Vidyaranyapuram, J.P. Nagar and Agrahara.

Operation Hawk: As part of Operation Hawk, Police teams yesterday made a surprise inspection of hotels and lodges across the city. A total of 300 hotels and lodges were checked during the exercise, which began at 6 am. The operation was aimed at checking if anti-social elements were staying in hotels and lodges and also if necessary security arrangements, including installation of CCTV cameras, were in place.

The exercise was also aimed at creating awareness among lodge and hotel owners,  he added.