Maoists call 48-hour bandh in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa

Maoists today called for a 48-hour bandh in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa from April 26 in support of their demand for producing four of their arrested cadre before court.

Chandrasekhar, Rajen, Krishna and Rajesh were arrested by security forces between April 14 and 15 from different areas in Jhargram subdivision of West Midnapore district, but had not been produced in court, a Maoist leader claimed in Kolkata.

While Chandrasekhar, a member of the Bengal-Jharkhand-Orissa Committee of the ultras, was arrested by the joint forces on April 14 from Nayagram, Rajen was arrested from Chandrakhuli and Krishna and Rajesh from Sirshi, he said.

"They should be produced in the court immediately. We have called a 48-hour bandh on April 26 and 27 in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa," he told PTI.

The Maoist leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, also denied "rumours" of death of their leader Kishenji, saying "he is very much alive and healthy. The police are making false propaganda."