The two-day bandh called by Maoists in protest over State Government policies got over today without any untoward incident reported from anywhere across Jharkhand. Also observed in the three neighbouring states of Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha, the bandh remained peaceful with precautionary measures.
Although ineffective in urban areas, people from rural pockets of Jharkhand preferred to remain indoors instead of braving the extremists’ diktat. long-route transportation was affected, causing trouble for commuters going in and out of the State.
“Any untowardly reports were not received from anywhere in Jharkhand. Those who decided to stay put on the first day of the bandh went on their businesses like usual. The bandh was mostly ineffective,” stated SN Pradhan, Assistant Director General (Operations) and Jharkhand Police Spokesperson.
On the first day of the bandh, traffic along railways was affected as explosives were placed by Maoists near railway tracks and were later found by police forces looking for them. A land mine explosion targeting security forces conducting combing operations also failed to result in any casualties.
The two day long band call given by left-wing extremists got a mixed response in and around Hazaribagh district. People went on with their daily routines normally in town and block headquarters but life remained at a standstill in hinterlands of the district.
Part III examinees of Vinoba Bhave University suffered greatly as they arrived at their examination centers facing many problems and found that the test has been cancelled. The reason behind calling off the test was quoted as VBU administration’s inability to deliver question papers to all exam centres.
Traffic on NH2 and NH33 was lesser in comparison to normal days. Dispatch of coal from colliery areas in the district, through roadways and railways both, was badly affected by this band call.
Meanwhile, cadres of People liberation Front of India murdered two of a family in Khunti on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. Dasrath and Nima from Bamarja village under Karra police station of the district were killed by extremists working under Akhilesh squad active in the region.
“The deceased were family members of a former area commander of the outfit who left and were targeted for the same reason. Four members of Akhilesh squad arrived at the house of the deceased where two of them shot them dead,” informed Superintendent of Police, Khunti Anish Gupta.
The extremists first killed Nima and then shot Dasrath when he tried to intervene and save his daughter, sources said.