Maoists attack gas pipeline project site, set on fire four vehicles in Bihar’s Gaya district

About 12 armed men attacked the site of Phulpur-Haldia natural gas pipeline project at Mahuawan village in Aamas police station area of Gaya district, torched four vehicles and also beat up guards deployed there.

Suspected Maoists attacked the site of a natural gas pipeline project and set on fire four heavy vehicles in southcentral Bihar’s Gaya district late on Friday night.

The truck that was set on fire by suspected Maoists in Gaya district on Friday night.(SK Ullah/HT photo)

Police said about 12 armed men attacked the site of state-owned Gail (India) Ltd’s Phulpur-Haldia natural gas pipeline project at Mahuawan village in Aamas police station area, 70 kms southwest of Gaya and 148 kms south of Patna, and torched four heavy vehicles, including an earth-mover and a dumper.

The Maoists, who are observing weeklong martyrdom of former CPI (Maoist) politburo member Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji in Bihar and Jharkhand, also beat up guards deployed at the site and threatened the contractor of the construction firm with dire consequences if he did not stop the work , the police said. Before leaving, the attackers raised slogans and dropped pamphlets calling upon villagers to support them in their “struggle to revive Maoism”.

Suspected Maoists had two days ago attacked another project site of the same construction company at Gurua in the district and set on fire two vehicles.

Gaya city superintendent of police J Jalla Reddy confirmed the incident and said raids were underway in forests near the project site to arrest the Maoists involved in the attack. Reddy, who is also officiating as senior superintendent of police (SSP), said; “I am on way to the spot. I have directed the local police to step up search operations in villages adjacent to the project site.”

Patna zonal inspector general Nayyar Hasnain Khan has suspended Aamas police station SHO Ram Vilas Yadav “for laxity”.

“The station house officer (SHO) was very lax and failed to gather intelligence regarding the movement of Maoists in his area. I had earlier also asked the SSP to initiate action against the SHO,” Khan told HT.