By IANS
Ranchi : Six people were injured when Maoists opened fire at a bus in Jharkhand while enforcing a 24-hour shutdown in the state to protest the arrest of their leaders in neighbouring Bihar. The rebels also blew up a railway station and damaged the control room of another station.
Activists of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) Wednesday fired at a bus in Garwah district, about 130 km from here, and injured five passengers and the driver.
Maoist guerrillas also bombed the Demo railway station in Latehar district and damaged the control room of Bendi railway station in the same district.
Maoists have called for a 24-hour shutdown in Jharkhand Wednesday to protest the arrest of three of their leaders in Bihar Monday.
"Police have shown cowardice by arresting leaders who had gone for treatment. The organisation will enforce a bandh Wednesday to protest the arrests," said a statement issued by the CPI-Maoist.
Long distance buses are not plying in the state and mining activities have been disrupted due to the shutdown. Schools and shops in rural areas remained closed Wednesday morning.
Maoist rebels are active in 16 of the 22 districts of Jharkhand. Nearly 830 people, including 290 policemen, have lost their lives in Maoist related violence in the last six years.
Â