Maoists torch railway station near Purulia

Purulia, June 27 (UNI) Maoists torched Birambi Railway station, 55 km from here, early this morning in a second day of protests against setting up of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in four states.

Rail traffic on the busy Adra division of South Eastern Railway (SER) was badly affected as signals and communication facilities were damaged in the fire.

The CPI(Maoist)-sponsored economic blockade in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh entered its second day today, to force the state governments to suspend the proposed SEZs.

SER's senior divisional manager Kali Shankar Mukherjee told UNI that about 45 Maoist rebels raided the Birambi station, about 285 kms west of Kolkata, early this morning and asked three railway employees and as many unarmed RPF personnel to leave. After that they doused the station with kerosene and set it on fire.

The station is exactly located under Adra division of Purulia and Chandil section bordering Jharkhand, about 285 kms west of Kolkata. Assistant Station Manager Daneswar Mundar confirmed that about 45 armed ultras were involved in the incident.

Combing operations launched by the securitymen today detected three live bombs on the railway tracks, one km west of Birambi station and efforts were on to defuse them.

Some express trains including Chennai-Guwahati and Bhubasneswar-Sampark Kranti super fast were diverted via Kotshila and Tata Nagar.

A few local passenger trains were also cancelled today to avoid any untoward incident as the bombs were yet to be defused.

Purulia Superintendent of Police Ahoke Kumar Prasad and high railway officials have arrived at the Birambi station to assess the situation.

UNI