Nine killed, Maoists' bandh begins on a violent note

A two-day bandh called by Maoists in six states began on a violent note on Monday with the killing of two policemen in Chhattisgarh, five CPI-M supporters in West Bengal and a chowkidar in Jharkhand.

In Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, Maoists attacked Bhejji police station and shot dead two policemen, who were preparing to go out on a patrol, after an exchange of fire this morning, police officials said.

In West Bengal's West Midnapore district, Maoists attacked Dompara area in Nachupatina village close to the Orissa border and dragged out five Marxist supporters, including four of a family, from their houses and assaulted them before shooting them dead last night, they said.

One of the victims was identified as Amrit Aagyuan, whose mother was also injured in the attack while resisting the Maoists. The others belonging to the same family were Rohin Aagyun, Samaresh Aagyuan, Swapan Aagyuan and Prasanta Aagyuan.

In Jharkhand's Garhwa district, Maoists dragged out chowkidar Rajeshar Paswan with his hands tied before shooting him dead in Panchadumar village, police said. A note recovered near the body claimed Paswan was a stooge of the police.

Last night, Maoists shot dead a man at Panchadumar village in the same district, they said. The ultras also blew up a stretch of railway track near Karmavad railway station in Giridih district in the wee hours which also damaged the wheels of a goods train, Divisional Railway Manager, (Dhanbad Railway Division) A Upadhaya said in Ranchi.

The Maoists burnt an earth-cutting machine at Sahapur in Hazaribagh district, police said. The bandh has been called in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, besides Gadchiroli, Bhandara and Chadrapur districts of Maharashtra and Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh by top Maoist leader Kishenji.

The shutdown has been called to press for a probe into the death of top Naxal leader Cherakuri Rajkumar alias Azad who was killed in a police encounter on July 2 in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh.