Maoists blow up railway tracks, torch trucks in Jharkhand

RANCHI: Maoists today blew up a stretch of railway track and set ablaze three trucks in Jharkhand as they began their two-day Jharkhand-Bihar shutdown in protest against what they alleged the Centre's effort to put down the CPI(Maoists) movement by force.

"They (Maoists) blew up a stretch of railway track around 2.30 am at Jharandih in the Coal belt Industrial Chord section in Dhanbad," Senior Public Relations Officer of the Dhanbad Rail Division Amrendra Das said in Dhanbad.

Shaktipunj Express was held up due to blast, he added. In another incident, about 12 armed Maoists set fire to three trucks at around 1 am in Giridih's Isri area and cut down trees to block road traffic on the Dumri-Giridih road, Giridih Superintendent of police Ravi Kant Dhan said in Giridih.

They also partially damaged a road bridge, which connects Dumri to the Grand Trunk Road, using explosives, the police officer said.

Maoists pasted posters in Giridih's Parasnath area. Tight security arrangements are in place in the naxal-affected districts in the state.