As poll nears, ‘akharas’, gyms under police lens

Sanjay Yadav

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Gurugram, September 17

As the Assembly elections in Haryana approach, over 500 ‘akharas’ and gyms in Gurugram, Faridabad, Rewari, Jhajjar, Palwal, Rohtak and Sonepat are under the police radar because they have been supplying musclemen to politicians during elections.

Apprehending threat to the peaceful conduct of the poll, the Haryana Police has decided to keep an eye on the use of these musclemen in the poll. Hence, the police are keeping a tab on the activities of these ‘akharas’ and gyms.

Sources said that elections are a big opportunity for musclemen to earn money as they can get Rs 5,000 per day besides food and drinks when hired for election. Normally, they get Rs 15,000 to 20,000 per month for working as bouncers in bars.

The local lads of these districts, according to leaders, are blessed with heft and brawn, are fluent in Haryanvi and are adept at managing crowds at public meetings and political rallies. These boys are way cheaper than professional security services, thus a hit every election season.

The demand provides these boys a chance to earn a quick buck. A Jhajjar resident, Sunil, who has been hired by a local leader claims that he is being paid Rs 2,000 per day for escorting a probable contestant from Gurugram Assembly seat.

“Each contestant usually hires four to five bouncers for personal security and for public meetings. During campaigns, the demand is for a minimum of 12 to 20 bouncers by each leader,” he added.

“Mostly bouncers are hired through agencies and get only Rs 800 to 1,000 per day with food. The rate of bouncers also depends on their height, weight and activeness. During election, bouncers ensure the safety of the contestant during public meetings and rallies. When the contestant is in a crowd, they make a ring of security around him,” said Ashu Chauhan, a gym trainer.

An inter-state/district coordination meeting of senior police officers from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and the districts sharing borders with Gurugram was held on Saturday. In this meeting, the issue of bouncers and wrestlers was discussed.