Two Railways officials abducted by a Group of Naxalites
On 19th Dec, 2017, Two Railways Officials were abducted, allegedly by a group of Naxalites, from Bihar‘s Madhusudan Halt station late on Tuesday night. The group reportedly also set fire to railway property at the station. There are no reports yet of any casualties. The assistant station master, one of the officials to be abducted by Naxals, called up Maldah DRM informing that naxals have threatened to kill them if trains continue plying on the section. As a precautionary measure, traffic on the Jamalpur-Kiul section of eastern railways was halted and all passengers advised to take other alternatives. The CPI (Maoist) had called for a bandh from December 18 to 20 to protest against ‘Operation Green Hunt’ against Maoists, now continuing in Bihar and Jharkhand. Bihar and Jharkhand police are jointly carrying out the operation in bordering areas with the help of CRPF. Due to the Maoists activity, train services have been stopped by Eastern Railway between Kiul-Jamalpur-Bhagalpur section of Malda Division from 07.00 hours. The trains which are affected are 13414 Farakka Express, 13242 Banka Express, 53042 Jaynagar Howrah Passenger, 13420 Muzaffarpur Bhagalpur Jan Sewa Express.
Naxalites, or Maoists, often target trains, railway stations and mobile phone towers in the country’s eastern states. In August, a train was hijacked by them in the Lakhisarai district of Bihar. In March, a group of 20 alleged Naxalites attacked an Odisha railway station, Doikallu, with explosives. They planted a small tiffin bomb in the station master’s office and near the engine of a goods train halted at the station.
By- Nikita Goel, Convenor, Student Reporter Committee, INBA