The Hindu : Violence mars bandh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 21, 2002

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Violence mars bandh
By K. Balchand

PATNA, FEB. 20. Four persons were killed and over 20 injured during the bandh today in Bihar and Jharkhand. Arsonists also damaged Railway and other property during the bandh, the call for which was given by the Maoists Communist Centre (MCC) protesting the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO). The PWG has also supported the bandh call.

The bandh affected Jharkhand more than Bihar and the activists targeted both rail and road traffic on the Grand Chord and the Grand Trunk routes, including the national highways. It, however, did not affect life in the towns of the two States.

An MCC armed squad fired at truck drivers on the Patna-Ranchi road when they tried to remove the blockade put up by them, killing a driver and a cleaner. A worker at a stone crusher unit was shot dead in Gumla district of Jharkhand.

MCC men also killed an engineer at Lohardagga on Tuesday hours before the bandh. In Jharkhand, railway tracks were blasted under the Dhanbad division leading to derailment of the Patna-Hatia superfast between Parasnath and Nimighar stations in Giridih district. Twelve coaches derailed and eight persons sustained injuries. Several trains, including the Howrah-Delhi Rajdhani Express had to be diverted.

The agitators set fire to an engine and two bogies at Daltonganj, where three more stations were attacked. The station master and an employee of the Mahadeosal station were kidnapped. But the GRP-men rescued them. Two station masters were beaten up at Hindagiri in Kultamdhara.

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