Maoist-sponsored bandh in north Bihar passes off peacefully

Patna, Apr 20 (UNI) The proscribed CPI(Maoist)-sponsored dawn-to-dusk bandh in north Bihar to protest alleged police atrocities against its activists was peaceful today with no untoward incident reported from any part of the state.

State police headquarters sources said here that elaborate security arrangements were taken to thwart any move of the Maoists to engineer subversive incidents in north Bihar.

Patrolling in sensitive areas had been intensified and Police Superintendents of the naxalite-affected districts had also taken precautionary measures to check untoward incidents, sources added.

'' Keeping in view the bandh call, special vigil is being maintained on tracks to ensure smooth movement of trains, and in some sensitive areas, pilot engine is being run before giving signal for movement of other passenger and express trains, '' sources said.

Meanwhile, a report from Samastipur said red alert had been sounded in the districts and Police Superintendent Surendra Lal Das had also directed all the Officers-in-charge to keep vigil on their respective areas.

Additional reinforcement had been sent in the districts bordering Nepal to check the influx of Maoists from across the border.

Earlier, Maoists had also given bandh call in Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhatishgarh on April 16 to protest alleged police atrocities.

UNI KKS-RS SJC RN1532