Communist Party of India-Maoist guerrillas blew up railway tracks at two places in Bihar' Lakhisarai district in the wee hours of Wednesday to protest the death sentence awarded to five of their comrades for killing three policemen in Banka district last week.
The Maoists blew up the tracks near the Bhalui halt station on the Jhajha-Kiul section of East Central Railway around 2 am, disrupting train services on Patna-Howrah main line, EC railway Deputy General Manager and Chief Public Relations Officer, A K Chandra, told PTI.
The Naxalites blasted the up and down tracks and also fired upon the locals who rushed to the spot on hearing the explosion but no one was injured.
Railway Protection Force and the General Railway Police personnel have reached the spot and the up track has been restored, Chandra said, adding traffic would resume after police clearance. The down track would also be opened for traffic in the next couple of hours, he added.
Nearly 15 trains, including Hatia-Gorakhpur Maurya Express, Howrah-Danapur Express and Amritsar-Howrah Punjab mail were halted at several places under Danapur and Asansol divisions.
The Maoists had blown up tracks near Bhalui halt during a bandh last month.
In another incident, the Maoist rebels blew up the single line between Kajra and Urain stations on Kiul-Jamalpur section of Eastern Railway at 3.45 am, its Chief Public Relations Officer, Deepak Jha, said.
Track restoration work is on and it would be opened for traffic after police clearance by 10 am, he said.
The Naxalites had attacked Kajra station in January 2005, killing a policeman and injuring two others, besides looting firearms and ammunition.
Additional District and Sessions Judge of Banka fast track court, Gangotri Ram Tripathi, had awarded death sentence to five hardcore Maoists -- Ashok Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Naresh Yadav, Dhaneshwar Yadav and Suresh Yadav -- on December 6 for killing three policemen and wounding as many at a temple at Gaura village under Chanan police station on November 3, 2005.
The Naxalites had circulated pamphlets in Banka and some adjoining districts, threatening to avenge the punishment meted out to their comrades.
