VIJAYAWADA: Cracking the whip on illegal activities during Sankranti festival such as cockfights and gambling, the Krishna district police conducted a week-long drive across the district and registered 370 cases against gambling rackets and 16 cases against cockfight organisers. The police arrested 370 people indulging in anti-social activities and seized 1,288 rooster knives. Addressing a press conference here, Krishna district SP M Ravindranath Babu said that 370 people were arrested for their involvement in gambling and 66 for organising cockfights. The police seized 26 bikes, 49 mobile phones and two cash counting machines.
The SP explained that they conducted raids at Ghantasala, Mylavaram and Visannapeta in the district and seized the rooster knives. Also, police noted the details of habitual offenders who indulged in cockfights and gambling earlier and registered 336 bind over cases against 764 persons. “Stringent action would be initiated against those who are found indulging in antisocial activities during the Sankranti,” Ravindranath Babu warned. Cases will be registered against accused, who used rooster knives, under relevant sections of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, he added.