Maoists blast tracks, abduct railway employees

Maoist guerrillas blew up railway tracks and triggered blasts at several places in Sundergarh district of Orissa and also abducted five railway employees, police said today.

Maoist guerrillas blew up railway tracks and triggered blasts at several places in Sundergarh district of Orissa and also abducted five railway employees, police said on Thursday.

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Around 20 Maoists abducted five railway employees, including the stationmaster, from the Topadiha station in the district early Thursday, said Diptesh Pattnaik, the superintendent of police of Rourkela.

The rebels also blew up the Rourkela-Barasua railway track and damaged another rail track at Roxy.

The ultras blew up the Kalta police outpost, the community centre and CITU office at Kalta and Toda. They also fired blanks at several places during the rampage in the wee hours.

Maoists have called for a 24-hour shutdown in the district on Thursday to demand the release of 30 people who were earlier arrested by district police for their suspected Maoist links.