Police have stepped up vigil to check rooster fights and other banned games during Sankranti festival. Raids and awareness programmes are being conducted in villages to prevent illegal activities, the police officials said.

Upon receiving information on gambling, rooster fights, ‘gundata’ and other prohibited games during Sankranti, police intensified patrolling in Krishna, Eluru, NTR and other districts.

“Drones are being used to check illegal activities in remote villages. Stern action will be taken against those who violate the orders,” the police officials warned.

meanwhile, posters are being pasted, and banners erected against conducting banned games and awareness meetings held in rural and urban areas to check rooster fights, the Eluru district police said.

“We have kept a vigil on habitual offenders who were booked for gambling and rooster fighting cases earlier. Similarly, raids were conducted on rooster fight knives’ manufacturers recently and the machines and knives were seized,” said Eluru district Superintendent of Police (SP) K. Pratap Shiva Kishore.

District, division and mandal-level teams have been constituted to caution the public against banned games. The teams will visit villages and take measures to stop illegal activities during Sankranti festival, said DSP D. Sravan Kumar.

Instructions have been given to Station House Officers to book cases against those who sell or consume liquor at open places and create nuisance and organise banned games, the DSP said.

Meanwhile, police damaged the arenas prepared for cockfights at Pulla village of Bhimadole mandal in Eluru district on Sunday. They erected banners and warned of severe consequences if banned games were organised.