Shaikh Mohamad Asgar alias Maheem, 48, has been involved in 17 criminal cases including murder (2), attempt to murder (1), rioting (3) and kidnap (4) cases, City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari said in a statement today.

"Any amount of action under law in existence has so far failed to deter him from indulging in serious bodily crimes against an innocent public", the statement said. It said Maheem, a resident of Jayanagar here, started his criminal activities in the year 1995 with an attempt to kidnap and assault case in the limits of Siddapura Police Station under South Zone, Bangalore City. He is a rowdy sheeter of Siddapura Police Station, it said.

Hence, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Division has submitted the report to detain Maheem under the Goonda Act, which is a common name for Karnataka Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Gamblers, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders and Slum Grabbers Act, 1985.