ROURKELA: Train services on the busy Howrah-Mumbai main line via Rourkela were affected for over six hours after Maoists blew up railway tracks in adjacent Jharkhand late in the night on Friday. The twin blasts took place at about 2 am between Lotapahar and Sonua stations of Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway (SER) in the adjacent Maoist-infested West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, around 90 km from Rourkela. The eastern regional bureau (ERB) of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit claimed responsibilities of the blasts.
The explosions were planned by the outfit to observe five-day protest and day-long nationwide shutdown call over recent arrests of top Maoist leader Prashant Bose alias Kisan Da (75) and his wife Sheela Marandi alias Shoba. Kisan was a member of CPI (Maoist) Politburo and central committee besides secretary of the ERB. Shoba was also a central committee member.
Sources said shortly after the blasts, security forces of Jharkhand including State police and CRPF personnel rushed to the spot. The Maoist cadres also put up banners at the explosion site protesting arrest of the top Maoist couple.
SER said services of at least 16 prominent trains were controlled. The trains ran six to eight hours behind schedule. SER’s Chakradharpur-based senior divisional commercial manager Manish Pathak said the patrol station of Railway Protection Force (RPF) received information about presence of Maoists following which train operations were stopped immediately. Before the twin blasts on the Down track, the 12809 Howrah-Mumbai Mail was standing at a nearby intermediate halt and 12130 Howrah-Puna Azadhind Express on the Up track was stationed at Chakradhapur station.
He said after security clearance, Howrah-Puna Azadhind Express was the first to move on the Up track at 8.35 am. The trains detained on Down track at different stations were also allowed to move using the third track.
