Sept. 23, 2007: The 24-hour bandh called by the Maoists to protest the arrest of its top leaders by the police turned bloody in Bihar with the extremists killing three people, including a police jawan, and torching about 15 trucks and passenger buses, badly disrupting normal life. They also targeted railway properties at several places. This is the third bandh called by the extremists in the last two months. Police said hundreds of extremists raided Grand Trunk Road in Gaya district and fired bullets on a police party patrolling on the national highway, killing a police jawan and two drivers who were to pass the route at that time. Five other people also sustained injuries in the incident. Police said the extremists also burnt as many as 14 goods-laden trucks as well as a passenger bus parked along the road because moving on the roads defied their strike. Reports said many roads in the rural pockets wore a deserted look as vehicles did not ply on them out of fear of the extremists. According to reports, the extremists also attacked the Amas police station in the same district, there is no report of any casualties. Reports received from railway sources said the extremists also blasted railway tracks at several places in Bihar, disrupting the movement of trains. The railways had already cancelled several trains or changed their routes after the Maoists announced their bandh. The extremists had called for the bandh to protest the arrest of its top leaders including Tushar Kant Bhattacharya, a member of the International Department of the South Asian Forum, and his accomplice from the state capital here on Wednesday. According to an official report, as many as 50 top Maoist leaders have been arrested since January. The 23-hour long bandh called by the CPI-Maoists across the states of Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh started off with blowing of railway tracks and repeated overnight attacks on railway staff manning the vital Howrah-Delhi Grand Chord section and the Coal India Chord section of the East Central Railways. (ECR) Normal life was hit hard inthe rural areas of Jharkhand, with reports coming in from Giridih, Latehar, Chatra, Palamu, East Singhbhum and other districts, about a total paralysis of rural life. Though vehicular movement within big cities and towns, including capital Ranchi, remained normal, traffic movement was extremely low along the national highways connecting the capital with other towns and cities across the state. Inter-state and intra-state bus service operators decided to suspend services for the day, leaving commuters with hardly any choice amid the incessant downpour and strong winds. Though school and colleges remained closed, it being a Sunday, yet people, especially the tribals wanting to reach their homes on the eve of the annual traditional Karma Puja, being celebrated with much fanfare across Jharkhand, remained stranded at several railway stations and bus stands. The first incident of violence took place last night, as the bandh came into force. According to reports, a group of more than 150 heavily armed Maoist extremists first went up to the cabin of Chegro Halt station in between Gomoh Jn and Parasnath stations Giridih district and forced the persons on-duty, out of the building. Later on, the staff at the level-crossing gates was also dragged away and the extremists blasted the Down line tracks. The intensity of the blast was so high that it even damaged the overhead electric wires and equipment, forcing train running along the extremely busy Howrah-Delhi Grand Chord link come to a total halt. Senior Railway officials informed that the Howrah-Indore ShipraExpress, Howrah-Delhi Kalka Mail, Howrah-Dehradun Doon Express, Howrah-Mumbai Mail via Allahabad and Howrah-Jodhpur Express, which left Howrah were detained at several stations enroute and were then broughtback to Asansol station, and further diverted along the Madhupur-Jhajha-Patna route. The Howrah bound Jodhpur Express was alsobrought back to Gaya station and then run via Patna, last night. ECR officials said, tracks and overhead electrical wires were finally repaired this morning and train services were restored along the link. The second incident was reported from the Garwah district, where armed Maoist extremists destroyed the station building of the Kajrat-Nawadih station on the Dehri-on-Sone-Garwah Road route, after blasting it.
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