Naxals hold up passenger train in Jharkhand

Ranchi, Mar 13 (UNI) The suspected naxals today captured a passenger train running between Mugalsarai and Barwadi in Jharkhand, railway sources said.

The BDM passenger train left Hehegada station at around 1915 hrs and was to arrive at Kumandih station in the next 30 minutes but the train did not reach there till mid night, said Ajay Shukla, DRM, Dhanbad.

Talking to UNI on phone tonight he said there was neither any news of train accident on the route and the railway authorities could not contact the driver and the guard of the train as their communication equipments must have been snatched by the naxals.

Meanwhile, the case was being investigated by the Jharkhand police. The train passes through jungles and the area, where the incident has happened, is not accessible, said Jharkhand Director General of Police BD Ram. With the festival of Holi approaching, the police have also not ruled out the possibility of looting in the train.

UNI