Naxals Attack Bihar's Masudan Railway Station, Abduct Five Employees

Jamalpur: A group of Naxals attacked the Masudan railway station in Bihar and abducted five railway employees, including the station master and loco pilot of Gaya-Jamalpur passenger train, on Tuesday night.

The Naxals attacked the Masudan station under the Jamalpur around 1 am. Police said the Naxals torched the station premises and abducted Assistant Station Master Mukesh Kumar, Porter Nirendra Mandal, Driver, assistant driver and guard of the Gaya-Jamalpur passenger train. Services along the Bhagalpur-Kiul line have been hit.

According to the latest report, Naxals have threatened to kill the driver of the train if the rail services are not stopped. The driver was forced to make a call to Divisional Rail Manager (DRM) of Maldah asking him to stop running trains on the Gaya-Howrah route.

Naxals have called a 24-hour bandh in Jharkhand and Bihar protesting against operation Green Hunt to wipe out the banned outfit from these two states.

Lakhisarai Superintendent of Police Arvind Pandey is camping in the area and search operation has started to rescue abducted railway workers.

Train services were badly affected till the operations resumed at 8am in the morning.

Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) of East Central Railway Rajesh Kumar told News18 that four trains have been stationed at different stations till further instructions. It includes Train Number 13242 Banka Express (halted at Barahia), 13414 Farakka Express and 13420 Muzaffarpur-Bhagalpur Jansewa Express in Kiul and 53042 Jaiynagar-Hawrah passenger at Simaria.

In another incident of violence during the bandh, Naxals killed Virendra Koda, deputy Mukhya of Sangrampur Panchayat under Chanan police station of Lakhisarai.

(More details awaited)