Naxal bandh in Chhattisgarh

Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, May 27 (UNI) A Dandakaranya bandh called by naxals in protest against a ''fake'' encounter at Bijapur district's Ponjer and in support of a demand to free Dandakaranya Zonal Committee Secretary Gopanna evoked a widespread response in this state's five extremism-affected districts where road traffic and train movement were affected and business establishments remained closed today.

The rebels damaged several roads since last night and killed a villager. Rajnandgaon, Bastar, Dantewada, Kanker and Narayanpur districts are located in Dandakaranya.

Maoists damaged tracks in Dantewada district's Padapur and Bhansi Bacheli by triggering two blasts on the Bailadila-Visakhapatnam route besides looting a goods train driver's walkie-talkie, police said. A passenger train plies on this route besides 11 goods trains that carry material to Visakhapatnam. A day's stoppage of train movement is estimated to equal a loss of Rs 800 crore.

Naxals dug pits in the Geedam-Bhopalpatnam road and slew the villager. The Kanker-Pankhajur, Koylibeda-Narayanpur and Jagdalpur-Hyderabad roads are closed.

UNI