Bihar: Maoists call for 2-day bandh against alleged encounter of its members

The Bihar-Jharkhand regional committee (BJRC) of the Communist Party of India (Maoists) called for a two-day bandh on April 14 and 15 against the alleged encounter of five members of the banned outfit by the security forces in Chatra in Jharkhand on April 3.

On April 3, the security forces gunned down at least five alleged members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), including Special Area Committee members Gautam Paswan and Ajeet Oraon alias Charlis carrying ₹25 lakh reward on their heads and sub-zonal commanders Amar Ganjhu, Ajay Yadav and Sanjeet Bhuiyan, each carrying ₹5 lakh reward. Paswan and Bhuiyan belonged to Gaya district.

The encounter took place along the Chatra-Palamu border, around 160 km from the state capital Ranchi.

Also Read: 5 Maoists killed in encounter in Jharkhand’s Chatra: Police

Announcing the band beginning Thursday midnight, the BJRC has also put up posters in several places in the Magadh division in the Gaya district.

Terming the recent exchanges of fire between para-military forces and Maoists as “fake encounters”, the BJRC has put up posters calling upon people to condemn the killings. However, essential services have been exempted from the bandh.

Expressing solidarity with the families of slain Maoists, the posters read, “Police and para-military forces are illegally arresting people, torturing them in jail, forcing the cadres to surrender and making encounters after catching them.”

The Maoists have urged people to come forward and support the bandh against their demands. According to the police, the Maoists also threatened to punish the violators in Jan Adalats, excluding media persons, milk supply vehicles and ambulances.

Police said vehicular movement on Dumariya-Patna state highway number 69 was stopped. The main markets, including Imamganj, Raniganj, Dumariya, Guriya, Kothi, Sallaiya, Banke Bazar were shut completely, they said.

Additional director general of police (headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar said all units of the Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF), CoBRA, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and district police were put on high alert ahead of the bandh.

Also Read: Maoists wanted in over 20 cases of murder, arrested from Bihar’s Gaya

“They have also been asked to beef up security around public places, especially at railway stations and bus depots which could be soft targets of the Maoists. District police and paramilitary forces will also continue to patrol Maoist-hit areas along the national highways and the railway tracks,” said Gangwar.

Police and jawans of CRPF and SSB were seen patrolling the roads and strategic locations with anti-landmine vehicles. Officers with the bomb squad and metal detectors were also deployed on earthen roads, and hilly areas, with high-security arrangements in affected areas of adjacent Aurangabad and Rohtas districts.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Gaya, Ashish Bharti, said the situation was normal and no report of an untoward incident has so far come from anywhere.