Maoists kill policeman in Jharkhand

A policeman was today gunned down by Maoists in Jharkhand's Sareikela-Kharsawan district as their 48-hour shutdown entered the second day.

The rebels fired indiscriminately on a police patrolling team near Chouka police station in Sareikela around 1.30 am, killing a policeman on the spot, police said here.

The policeman was identified as Kalicharan Bodra.

The Maoists melted away into the forests after a strong retaliatory action by securitymen, police said.
   
Security forces have launched raids in the area even as deployment of forces are in place at strategic locations to keep a strict vigil during the shutdown that ends tonight.

The bandh has so far caused cancellation of many trains, including the Ranchi-Delhi Garib Rath, Palamau Express, besides passenger trains for the second consecutive day, railway officials said.

Several express trains have been diverted through the Mugalsarai-Gomo route, they said.
   
The Maoists are observing the shutdown in Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal, Chhatisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and three districts of Maharashtra to protest anti-naxal operations, price rise and arrests of some of their cadres.