Naxalites strike Jharkhand, capture passenger train

The train was going from Barkakhana to Mughalsarai in Uttar Pradesh. All passengers were reported to be safe.

Armed Naxalites on late Monday night took over a passenger train carrying more than 100 passengers near a dense forest in Jharkhand.

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The driver was beaten up, but all passengers are reported to be safe, General Railway Police spokesman SR Gandhi said.

The Naxalites stopped the train going from Barkakhana in Jharkhand to Mughalsarai in Uttar Pradesh train close to a thick jungle between Heyagarha and Kumudi stations in protest against the killing of one of their comrades in police encounter in Palamau district on March 3, Inspector General of Police GC Verma said.

The incident took place in the midst of a bandh called by the Naxalites in Palamau division, which covers Latehar district, to protest the killing of Jagannath Koiry at a village in Palamau district, he said.

Gandhi said quoting train staff of two goods trains, which went past the held-up passenger train, that all the passengers were safe.

"There is no attack on the passengers. They (goods train staff) did not see any attack on passengers," he said.

CRPF commandant of the area PK Sharma said that he was ready with his forces to go to the site but was waiting for the local police to guide them through the forest area.

Immediately after capturing the train, they roughed up the driver and cut off the communication system by snatching the walkie-talkie of the guard, police sources said.