Jamshedpur, Nov 23: The rebel outfit CPI-Maoist has given a 72-day Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha bandh call to protest the arrest of the outfit’s top leader Prashant Bose. According to senior police officials, additional personnel have been deployed in Naxal-affected and bordering areas of the State.
Prashant Bose (80) who is CPI-MAOIST politburo member and second top naxal leader in the country was arrested along with five others including his wife from Kandra police station area in the Seraikela-Kharsawan district on November 12.
Police teams have been deployed at railway stations, bus stands and other crowded places. Besides, vehicles are being searched to avoid any untoward incident, they said.
Anti-landmine vehicles will be patrolling through the NH 33 area along with deployment of forces of CRPF and RAF.
All police stations in the Naxal-infested areas of the district have been put on maximum alert. Extra security attention was being paid to protect vital installations, including property of railways, in the divisions.
He went on to add that strict vigil on the bordering areas of Odisha and Bengal is being kept. Security forces have been deployed in large numbers at naxal-infested areas. Police patrolling on the Maoist infested areas of the Ghatshila sub division have also been increased.
Since in the past Railways have been the target of the ultras special focus is on to ensure strict security arrangements for Railways establishments
Railway authorities have sounded alert in Railway stations of CKP division. Special squads of RPF jawans and gangmen would be pressed into service to trace out landmines along railway tracks in the vulnerable division. Pilot engines would also lead the trains running through naxal infested areas.
All the police stations in the three districts of the division including East and West Singhbhum and Seraikela Kharsawan are on alert and patrolling has been intensified.
” We will intensify the track patrolling and keep strict vigilance on the passengers movement at all the railway stations including Tatanagar, Ghatshila, Ranchi, Chakradharpur, Hatia, Muri and Chandil,” said an official. He said that the railway police will be working in close coordination with the railway protection force and local police for maintaining vigilance at the railway track and also the railway stations beside other railway installations during the bandh.
Sources said the outlawed outfit has given a fresh bandh call for an extended period of three days and must be aimed at making its presence felt by resorting to subversive acts. The naxal bandh call is already effective from Tuesday midnight to continue till Thursday midnight.