Magadh bandh by and large peaceful

Patna, Apr 9 (UNI) The 24-hour midnight-to-midnight Magadh bandh, called by the CPI (Maoist) to protest the arrest of its leaders, like Arjun Singh and Binda Singh, remained by and large peaceful in Bihar today.

Deputy Inspector General (Railways) Ajay Verma here said train services resumed on Gaya-Koderma section under Dhanbad division of East Central Railway (ECR). He said the outlawed Maoists blew up Banshinala halt station in Gaya district. After taking four railway employees in hostage, the extremists had damaged the railway track.

The damaged track was repaired and train services resumed in the section this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Inspector General, headquarters, Anil Kumar Sinha claimed the bandh evoked little response as no untoward incident was reported.

He said elaborate security arrangements had been arranged in view of the bandh call, which started yesterday night in the extremist dominated areas.

Earlier, East Central Railways (ECR) CPRO A K Chandra said four railway employees taken hostage by the extremists were released.

According to Mr Chandra, routes of 25 Express and Mail trains and 17 passenger trains on Mughalsarai-Gaya Grand Chord section were diverted as a precautionary measure following the bandh call.

Railway Protection Special Force has been deployed at all vulnerble stations in the extremist dominated area of Magadha division and round-the-clock patrolling was conducted on the railway tracks during the bandh hours.

Meanwhile, the truck and bus owners kept their vehicles off the roads as preventive measure.

According to a report from Gaya, police recovered 16 Kgs of explosives during a raid in the district while four extremists were arrested from their hideouts in Sasaram of Rohtas district.

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