Maoists blow up railway station, tracks, utility structures

Maoists began their two-day statewide shutdown today by blasting a small railway station, tracks and utility buildings at various places in Jharkhand.
       
Armed Maoists planted explosives and triggered the blast, damaging the one-room building of Mahubuang railway station in Simdega and railway tracks in the wee hours, V Deshmukh, Inspector General of Police said here.

Forces have reached the spot and repair work is going on, he added.
       
The ultra-left activists also blew up another stretch of railway track between Jageswar and Dania in Bokaro district late last night, he said adding that under the impact of the blast, electricity was also snapped near the tracks.
       
However, there was no report of any casualty in the series of incidents.
       
The blasts disrupted several trains on that route, according to railway sources.
       
In Palamau, the Maoists blew up a panchayat hall and a school building at Pipra village hours before the bandh started at midnight, police said.

The proscribed outfit has called for the bandh to demand production of its South Chhotanagpur Zonal Committee leader Ashok Mahto in a court, a claim the Jharkhand police denied.