The rebels of CPI (Maoist) blew-up a part of the railway track at Regadbera village between Lotapahar and Sonua railway station under Chakradharpur division in West Singhbhum district on Monday in the wee hours during the nationwide bandh called by the CPI (Maoist).
The area falls under Goilkera police station where rebels have made their presence felt during the past couple of months.
While rebels triggered a landmine blast to sabotage the rail track the Indian railway through a press communique informed the track was repaired and traffic restored.
The railway authorities came to know about the sabotage around 2.15 am on Monday when the loco pilot of a goods train reported heavy jerks on the Up line. Movement on the Rourkela-Chakradharpur section including Mail Express/Passengers like Howrah-Ahmedabad Spl, Howrah- Pune Special, Rourkela Saranda MEMU and goods trains was immediately stopped as part of security measures. The track was repaired and traffic restored around 9.35 am.
Police recovered a banner with slogans. Up to one meter of rail track was damaged. After the incident security was further beefed-up. No injury, casualty or the derailments were reported.
However, except this track sabotage, no untoward incident was reported from any part of Jharkhand where security forces were on vigil.
The eastern regional bureau of the CPI (Maoist), a banned ultra-left wing outfit had called for the Bharat bandh against the alleged killing of their cadres by security forces in Bihar and Chhattisgarh during anti-naxal offensive named as Operation Prahar. CPI (Maoist) alleged their armed cadres were murdered through fake encounters in Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
Rebels tried to make their presence felt at a time when the nation is grappling with the outbreak of Covid 19.
“Police and security forces are also extending support to civil administration to save humanity from pandemic. So, the challenges have just become manifold for us. Security forces and agencies are on alert. Maoist called for bandh on many other issues also like farmers agitation,” a senior security official said.
Rebels had made their intention for violence by putting posters and banners. On Sunday, rebels had put-up banners and posters at different places at Goratoli under Murhu police station and Anigadha under Khunti police station of Khunti district.