Thanjavur: Authorities have detained 176 persons under the Goondas Act in a bid to curb activities of rowdies and anti-social elements in the delta districts.

Of the three districts falling under the Thanjavur Range, Nagapattinam tops the list with 89 detentions, followed by Thanjavur with 58 and by Tiruvarur with 22. “Those detained have been involved in law and order, crime and bootlegging cases, besides sexual assault of minors,” a senior police officer said.

A total of 28 anti-socials have been detained so far in Thanjavur range this year, the official said. Of them, 18 are from Thanjavur and nine from Nagapattinam, Those under detention of six bootleggers.

It is only one of the several preventive steps taken to curb such activities. When booked under the Act, they cannot get bail and the detention can be up to a year, a top official said. “The accused who have been already incarcerated in criminal cases are detained under the provisions of the Goondas Act so that they do not come out on bail to commit a crime again. The Act has been invoked against chain and cellphone-snatchers, history-sheeters, robbers, murderers and criminals,” he added.