Maoists set ablaze three buses in Bihar

CPI (Maoist) Naxalites after setting the buses on fire also severely beat up a cleaner, who was hospitalised.

CPI (Maoist) Naxalites set ablaze three private buses in Bihar's Sitamarhi district early on Tuesday, after the bandh called by them to protest the arrest and alleged torture of their comrade had ended, officials said.

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Guerrillas of the banned organisation descended on Balua-Gausnagar village under Runni Saidpur police station, about 30 kms from Sitamarhi, and set on fire three private buses parked in front of the house of former Sitamarhi Block Development Committee chief Rameshwar Yadav, Deputy Superintendent of Police JN Jha said.

They also severely beat up a cleaner, who was hospitalised, he said.

The CPI (Maoist) had called a 24-hour bandh in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh from Sunday midnight to Monday midnight to protest the recent arrest of their leaders Narendra alias Osho in West Champaran district of Bihar and Sheela Marandi at Raniganj in Jharkhand.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Government has extended the alert sounded across the state for the bandh till November 7, the day the Naxalites have declared to observe 'Kranti Divas' (revolution day), state's Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah said in Patna.

He said the leave of all senior police officers had been cancelled in view of the event as there were apprehensions that the outfit might create disturbance.