Maoist bandh begins; local Congress leader shot dead in Garhwa

RANCHI: Maoists abducted and killed a local Congress leader in Jharkhand's Garhwa district ahead of their two-day bandh in five states today.

Bardhan Kachhu, a 45-year-old local tribal leader of Garhwa, was kidnapped from Barkol village around 8 pm last night by the Maoists and shot dead, Garhwa Superintendent of Police Richard Lakra said.

The Left-wing guerrillas are observing a 2-day bandh beginning midnight last night in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Chhatisgarh and Bihar against the alleged anti-people policies of the government.

This is the fifth 48-hour bandh this year, affecting mining activity in the mineral-rich state.

To avoid Naxal-pockets, up and down trains of Ranchi-Delhi Swarna Jayanti Express, Ranchi-Varanasi inter-city and Sambalpur-Varanasi inter-city have been diverted through Gomo-Gaya-Mughalsarai route, railway sources said here.

As per a new order, the trains will run at a speed of 65 km in Naxal areas during nights, the sources said.

Though security forces have been deployed in strength at strategic places, including national highways, buses and trucks have kept off the routes for fear of Naxal attack.