Maoists attack 'Gammon India' camp, damage vehicles

Muzaffarpur, June 6: Heavily armed Maoists attacked a camp of civil engineering company 'Gammon India' torching several vehicles and construction machinery near Kamtaul village in Muzzafarpur early on Saturday.

"The attack started around 1 AM. Around 100 armed Maoists surrounded the 'Gammon India' camp, held its guards captive and set vehicles and construction machinery on fire. The damage is being assessed," Muzaffarpur Senior Superintendent of Police Ranjit Kumar Mishra said.

There was no casualty in the attack.As per preliminary reports, the damaged vehicles include four large modern dumper-trucks, a road and concrete laying mobile machine and two Special Utility Vehicles (SUV).

Three persons had been detained in connection with the incident.

"The company's camp site manager R K Singh is also being questioned regarding the attack. Usually such attacks are carried out by Maoists when people or companies do not meet their extortion demands," he said.

"We are investigating whether the attack is related to levy or extortion demand by the Maoists. The company officials did not inform us about any such demand made by the Maoists," Mishra said.

The SSP also said that the company was not engaged in any construction work in Muzaffarpur district, but had some projects underway in the neighbouring Vaishali district, which is a left-wing extremism affected district.

PTI