Kolkata, August 24: 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 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, told PTI 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.
—Agencies