Maoists bandh starts on violent note, eight killed

A two-day bandh called by the Maoists in six states today began on a bloody note with Naxals killing two policemen in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district and five CPI(M) supporters in West Bengal's West Midnapore district.

A two-day bandh called by the Maoists in six states today began on a bloody note with Naxals killing two policemen in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district and five CPI(M) supporters in West Bengal's West Midnapore district.

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The ultras also blew up a stretch of railway track near Karmavad railway station in Giridih district in the wee hours.

The blast, which occurred around 2 am, destroyed a metre-long track besides wheels of a goods train, Divisional Railway Manager, (Dhanbad Railway Division), A Upadhaya, said here.

In West Midnapore district, a group of 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, police sources 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.

Last night, Maoists shot dead a man at Panchadumar village in Jharkhand's Garhwa district, police sources said. The bandh has been called in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chattishgarh, 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 an encounter with the police on July 2 in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh.