Maoists call bandh in five Bihar districts

MUNGER (BIHAR): The banned CPI (Maoist) has called a 24 hour shutdown in five Bihar districts from midnight on Sunday to protest the recent arrest of their five hardcore comrades in Bihar's Lakhisarai district.

A pamphlet circulated to the media on Sunday on behalf of Jamui, Munger, Banka, Bhagalpur and Lakhisarai zonal committee, signed by its spokesman Avinash, said the organisation0has called the bandh to protest "police atrocities on the maoist guerrillas and the arrest of their five comrades in Lakhisarai district on May 30

Among those arrested in a joint operation by the Lakhisarai and Jamui police was Sunil Marandi alias Sunil Hembram, special area committee member of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and north Chhattisgarh. Sunil was wanted in several cases of attack and murder of policemen, including the killing of Munger district superintendent of police K C Surendra Babu a few years ago.

Munger SP Shalin said all police stations in the district have been put on high alert to meet any eventuality.

Patrolling has been intensified and commandoes of the state police and central para-military forces were maintaining strict vigil in forest areas of Kharagpur and Dharhara.

Superintendent of railway police, Jamalpur, Vimal Kumar said round-the-clock patrolling of tracks has been introduced and additional forces have been deployed at vulnerable stations.