Maoists beat up construction workers, set vehicles on fire in

Armed Maoists stormed a construction site, thrashed 17 workers and set two vehicles on fire in Bihar's Nawada district, police said on Monday.

The incident happened near Baksauti village's bazar under the jurisdiction of Govindpur police station on Sunday midnight.

Around 30 to 40 Maoist attacked the base camp at the construction site and set a JCB machine and a pickup van on fire and beat up 17 workers there, the Station House Oficer (SHO) of Govindpur polices station, Nagendra Prasad said.

The Maoists took all the workers towards a river, on which a bridge is being constructed, tied them with ropes and thrashed them, Prasad said.

Before leaving the spot, the Maoists also took away mobile phones and money from the workers.

The Naxalites fired two rounds in the air before moving towards a nearby hillock.

The injured workers were admitted to Govindpur community health centre, the SHO said, adding, the reason behind the attack is yet to be ascertained.

An investigation has been initiated, he said.