Maoists call bandh, police to ensure normal life

RANCHI: Amidst reports that Maoists have called a 48-hour bandh in Jharkhand and Bihar from April 6 to protest against killing of their 10 cadres, the police today said all measures would be taken to ensure that normal life prevailed during the period.


Additional Director General of Police B B Pradhan said precautionary measures would be taken to ensure that normal life was not disturbed during those two days.

A man claiming to be Gopal Ji, a member of the CPI (Maoist) special area Bihar-Jharkhand-North Chhattisgarh, rang up media houses yesterday saying, they have called a 48-hour bandh in Bihar and Jharkhand from April 6.

Media reports today said the bandh would be a part of the 'Protest Week' to be observed from April 1 in protest against the killing of their 10 cadres by Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) ultras in the intervening night of March 27 and 28 in Chatra district.

"We have not received any intelligence reports in this regard, but will take all measures to ensure normal life in the wake of the newspaper reports," Chatra Deputy Commissioner Manoj Kumar told PTI over phone.

The TPC, which had broken away from the CPI(Maoist) on ideological grounds in 2002, shot dead 10 Maoists and claimed to have taken as many hostage during a firefight in jungles near Lakramanda village of Chatra district.

The police, however, said they were not aware of anyone being taken hostage.

The Maoists have a track record of calling bandhs whenever their cadres are arrested or killed and destroy school buildings, railway tracks, panchayat offices and firing on passenger buses and trucks plying during bandh.