Extremist organization NSP (New Armed People’s Front) fired dozens of rounds at the railway siding of Kathara area late on Monday night with the aim of spreading panic by pasting posters. The incident is said to have taken place around 10 pm on Monday about 25 km from Bokaro town. Several vehicles parked near railway siding for loading of coal were found badly damaged, said CCL workers.

At the same time, in the siding office also, the extremists fired indiscriminately and spread panic among them. 

Bokaro SP Chandan Jha, while confirming the incident, denied any Maoist incident and called for an inquiry.  After the incident, panic is being seen especially among the workers working there.

According to the information received, at around 10 pm on Monday night, three bike riders threatened the workers by pasting posters at Jarangdih open mine of Kathara area, armed with weapons and also fired in the air in front of the vehicle number-JH0AR/0241 parked there. 

Apart from this, the extremists went to the Jarangdih railway siding and pasted the poster.  While threatening the workers working in the open mine, they talked about staying calm.  According to the personnel, all were equipped with weapons.  In the posters pasted by the extremists, it has been said about giving proper compensation to the farmers who have acquired land by CCL. North Chhotanagpur Zonal Committee NSPM New Sashastra People’s Front has written in the request.

On receiving information about the incident, the police force reached the spot and took charge. However, the attackers fled from the spot before the police arrived. But after the incident, no worker was ready to speak out of fear.

Sources said that the extremists forbade the CCL officers to work by sticking the form in the siding.  Along with this, the officials have been threatened with death if they enter the project. 

The workers said that about 15 to 16 armed people on bikes in military uniform reached the railway siding and they started firing in the air, driving away the people there.

Pointing to the drivers sitting in the trucks to get down, they also targeted and fired.  During this, the labourers and workers working in siding hid everywhere to save their lives.

At the time of the incident, Kanta Babu Kapil Kumar, Subhash Thakur of Transporting, Arun Kumar, Chitu Pandey of KSML, Kunal Kumar Kanta of Sonmati Company were present nearby the shed.

The armed criminals asked everyone to lie down on the ground. After this, firing started at Kanta Ghar.  On the way, the armed criminals left the bike towards Phusro, threatening not to allow corrupt officials of CCL to enter the project. After leaving the Jarangdih railway siding, armed criminals fired at the dumper standing in the Jarangdih open mine and crusher premises and damaged it. Maoists incident at Jarangdih railway siding has been carried out by some criminal gang but, everything will be clear only after investigation, said Bokaro SP Chandan Kumar Jha.

The SP said that coal trade in Bermo’s Jarangdih is frequently going on, especially at railway siding.  Many people keep an eye on the business of coal while the local criminal gangs can also do such acts for financial sharing. 

Whoever will be there, strict action will be taken against them.  The names of many people have come out, they are being identified and arrest will happen soon, he added.