Maoist bandh: Alert sounded in Bihar

Maoist bandh: Alert sounded in Bihar

Patna, Oct. 29 (PTI): Bihar Police has sounded a high alert in the naxal-infested north and southern parts of the State and intensified patrolling in view of the bandh called by proscribed CPI (Maoist) on Monday in protest against the arrest of its top leaders in the state.

The Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee and the People's Liberation Guerilla Army have extended support to the bandh call.

All the Superintendents of Police in the zone had been asked to intensify patrolling in naxalite-hit areas, IG (Tirhut zone), Sumit Kumar, said.

Protection of government property, including railways and jails, would get special attention, he said.

"The SSB, which guards the Indo-Nepal border, has been asked to cooperate with the district police to nab ultras trying to sneak into Indian territory from neighbouring Nepal to create disturbances," Kumar said.

Security is also being tightened in Gaya, Jehanabad, Nawada and Aurangabad districts in south Bihar.

The ultras had targetted railway property in Bagaha, Samastipur, Darbhanga and Motihari (East Champaran) and Gaya during the bandh call in the past.

In north Bihar, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, East and West Champaran, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Begusarai and Madhubani districts are considered vulnerable from security point of view.

The CPI (Maoist) is protesting against the arrest of its top leaders in Bihar and Jharkhand.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200610290325.htm