CPI(Maoist) called bandh evokes mixed response in Kolhan

Jamshedpur: Jharkhand bandh called by the CPI (Maoists) to protest against police firing in Garwah district early this month evoked a mixed response in the mineral-rich Kolhan region of the state with stray incidents of violence reported from some places.

Long-route commercial and public transport remained affected due to the bandh, police said.

Transportation of minerals from Noamundi and Gua iron-ore mines came to a halt while shops and markets in Manoharpur, Sonua, Goilkera and Bandgaon in West Singhbhum district remained closed, they said.

The banks have downed their shutter in Manoharpur and Goilkera and the post-office in Manoharpur also remained closed, police said adding that the rail services, however, was normal.

Life was affected in naxal-infested pockets of Ghatsila sub-division in East Singhbhum district but the bandh remained incident-free, police said.

In an another incident, over a dozen activists of another ultra outfit "Jharkhand Prastuti Committee" (JPC) assaulted the employees of a construction company, looted their watches, mobile phones, computer and torched a earth moving machines affecting the ongoing construction work of Barkakhana-Ranchi rail line this afternoon.

A group of 15 to 20 JPC activists laced with fire-arms arrived at Senduwar village camp office of the company and assaulted and looted the belonging of the employees before they torched an earth moving equipment in Ramgarh district, police said.

Earlier, extremist group PLFI had observed a bandh for the similar reason yesterday.