Ranchi: Maoists today blew up
railway tracks and mobile towers in Jharkhand during a 48-hour
bandh called in five states, and threatened to continue it
"indefinitely" in the state and Bihar if two of its senior
members were not produced in court immediately.
Maoists blasted tracks between Kumundi and Hehegarha
railway stations in Latehar district, about 150km from Ranchi.
The blast took place nearly an hour after the Rajdhani Express
crossed the area at 5:00 am, Latehar Railway station master P
N Tiwari said here.
Latehar Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Diwedi said the
blasts were not targeted at any train. Train services,
however, were disrupted on the Barwadih-Barkakana route.
Maoists also blew up a BSNL mobile tower and a private
one in Palamu district, DIG (Palamau Range), S N Jha, said.
Top Maoist leader, Kishneji, told news agencies in Kolkata from an
undisclosed destination, that bandh would end in West Bengal,
Orissa and Chhatisgarh tomorrow, but continue "indefinitely"
in Bihar and Jharkhand unless two of its members were not
produced in court immediately.
Kishenji claimed that CPI(Maoist) Politburo members Anil
and Kartik were arrested from near Patna Junction while
boarding a train on August 19, but were not produced in court.
Meanwhile, the shutdown had some impact in Jharkhand`s
rural areas while it evoked little response in Orissa.
Little response in Orissa
Bandh call given by Maoists
evoked little response in Orissa today as shops and business
establishments remained open and vehicular movement was
unaffected in the state, barring a few pockets of Malkangiri.
The 48-hour shut-down called by the red rebels had little
impact in Naxal-infested districts such as Rayagada, Gajapati,
Sundargarh, Koraput, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Keonjhar
and Mayurbhanj, police said.
Business and commercial activities in these districts
remained normal as shops and market places were open with
usual transactions, they said, adding vehicular traffic and
movement of trains remained normal.
However, tight security arrangements were made in all the
Maoist-affected areas of the state amidst deployment of force
at sensitive places, while police patrolling was intensified
in vulnerable areas, sources said.
State`s borders with Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West
Bengal and Jharkhand were virtually sealed while strict vigil
was maintained and vehicles thoroughly checked to prevent
entry of unwanted elements, they said.
In Maoist-infested Malkangiri district also, life
remained largely unaffected by the bandh though road traffic
was thin in few areas like Kalimela, Padia, MV-79 and Motu,
Malkangiri superintendent of police Satyabrata Bhoi said.
Shops and business outfits remained open and vehicles
plied normally at the district headquarter town of Malkangiri
despite the bandh call, he said, adding security personnel
kept a close watch everywhere.
