10 Jharkhand trains cancelled as Maoist strike begins

RANCHI - At least 10 trains were cancelled and seven diverted in view of a two-day Maoist shutdown beginning Monday, a railway official said.

“At least 10 trains have been cancelled and routes of seven trains diverted considering the Maoist strike,” the official told IANS.

Amongst the trains cancelled were the Garib Rath from Ranchi to New Delhi and the Palalamu Link Express.

“An alert has been sounded in bordering areas of three states - Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa. Adequate security arrangements have been,” Jharkhand police spokesperson V.H. Deshmukh told IANS.

Road services have also been affected in Jharkhand with long route buses not plying.

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) called the shutdown in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa, demanding that the four arrested rebels - Rajesh, Krishna, Rajan and Chandrashekhar - be produced in court.

Alleging that the rebels have not been produced in the court, the CPI-Maoist said in a press statement to local newspapers: “These four comrades were arrested in West Midnapore district of West Bengal on April 16.”