Ranchi/Patna/Kolkata: Maoists on Monday 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 targetted 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, said 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.
The shutdown affected people in Jharkhand`s Chatra, East
and West Singhbhum districts, Simdega, Khunti, Gumla, Latehar,
Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Bokaro and Giridih in a small way,
officials said.
Many operators chose not to run buses on national
highways as a precautionary measure, while transport of
bauxite was affected in Gumla, they said.
In Orissa, shops and business establishments remained
open and traffic was normal, barring a few pockets in
Malkangiri district.
The bandh also had little impact in Naxal-infested
districts like Rayagada, Sundargarh, Gajapati, Koraput,
Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Deogarh,Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj, police
said.
Earlier, when asked about "arrest" of two Maoists from
Patna station as claimed by Maoist chief Kishanji, Bihar ADG
(Headquarters) Neelmani said he had no information on arrest
of Maoist leaders in the state.
Four Naxals held in Chhattisgarh
Four Naxals were today arrested in
Chhattisgarh`s Dantewada district.
Acting on a tip-off about Naxal activities at Musaras
village, police raided the area and arrested Barse Manjhi,
Sodhi Hunga, Kudami Ganga and Kavasi Deva and seized arms from
them, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Amresh Mishra said.
The recovered items include Naxal literature,
country-made revolver and five cartridges.
Several cases of murder and attempt to murder are lodged
against them in various police stations of the Dantewada
district, Mishra said.
Fire exchanged with Naxals in Gadchiroli
An exchange of fire took place
between police and a group of Naxals in Sonsuri forest in
Kurkheda taluk of Gadchiroli district this evening.
One .303, and four 12 bore rifles, apart from some Naxal
literature, were recovered from the spot, police said.
The exact number of Naxals injured could not be known
immediately. However, no policeman was injured in the
firefight, they said.
Bureau Report
