Taking cognisance of Intelligence alerts indicating the influx of musclemen, goons and wrestlers in the city during the run up to the Delhi Assembly polls, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) held an inter-State meeting of officers to take stock of the situation.
During the meeting held on Wednesday — District Magistrates (DMs), Superintendents of Police (SPs) and other senior officers —discussed and devised mechanisms to rein in the musclemen and anti-social elements during the elections. The field officers from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh have been asked to keep an eye on bootleggers, arms suppliers and those out on bail with criminal history.
Sources said that the meeting deliberated over the use and involvement of wrestlers and bouncers, found in abundance in Hisar, Gurgaon, Sonipat and Jhajjar districts of neighbouring Haryana. It was decided that the DMs and SPs will maintain a strict vigil on the movements of those enrolled with gyms; and wrestlers living in villages as well as urban areas.
There are reports that candidates may seek help of these musclemen to add extra teeth to their poll campaign and also browbeat their opponents.
A Delhi Police officer, who attended the meeting, said that they have conveyed the poll body to ask the neighbouring States to launch a crackdown on the unlicensed akharas (wrestling centres) and if need be, carry out preventive arrests.
According to the reports of the Special Branch of Delhi Police wrestlers and bouncers active in the neighbouring districts have become active and are in touch with those who supply musclemen to intimidate the slum dwellers to vote for a particular candidate.
Bouncers and goons — hired by various discotheques, pubs and restaurants to manage tipsy people — are also in demand. District police officers have been asked by the Delhi Police top brass to keep an eye on the attendance registers and also monitor their movements.
Outer, West, South-West and North-West District Police have been placed on alert and raids are being conducted at random to verify the antecedents of those who are active in the gyms and akharas.