Maoists blow up mobile tower in Bihar

A cabin man of a railway station was also taken hostage for four hours, affecting the movement of trains

Maoists blew up a mobile tower in Bihar's Lakhisarai district and took a cabin man of a railway station hostage for four hours in Jamui district, affecting the movement of trains, police said Saturday.

The cabin man was taken hostage to enforce a 24-hour strike called by the Maoists to protest against the security forces' operations against them, police said.

According to a police officer in Lakhisarai, about 150 km from here, armed Maoists blew up a mobile tower in Mananpur village under Chanan police station early Saturday. No casualty was reported.

Lakhisarai is one of the worst Maoist-hit areas.

Besides, a group of armed Maoists took a cabin man of Bhalui railway station in Jamui hostage Friday night which disrupted movement of trains for hours.

Maoist's shutdown was part of resistance day that began Friday. It evoked mixed response across the state.

Normal life was affected in rural areas of Aurangabad, Nawada, Munger, Sitamarhi, Arwal and Gaya districts.

Maoists also torched four tractors Friday evening in Nawada.

Fear of Maoists forced closure of rural area markets in these districts. Vehicles stayed off roads and common people suffered, a police official said.

Police officials also said that life in some rural pockets, known as Maoist strongholds, was paralysed, as neither shops nor banks opened.

Despite the police deployment and the administration's promise of security cover, shopkeepers downed their shutters and stayed home.