RANCHI: Armed Maoist cadres have wreaked havoc in Hazaribagh of Jharkhand as they set ablaze as many as five tipper trucks on late Monday night, September 30. The incident unfolded on Keredari-Tandawa main road at around 2.30 AM.
According to the details, around 8-10 Maoists, armed with weapons barged at the scene at around 2.30 am and torched five Hyva vehicles parked at the roadside for coal transportation purpose. The extremists after torching the vehicles thrashed the drivers, threatening them to stop transportation. They also fired shots in the air before fleeing the spot.
A sense of panic and fear is prevailing among the residents and transporters, affecting operations at Chatti Bariyatu and Keridari mines of National Thermal Power Corporation. Learning about the incident a police team too reached the spot and took stock of the situation. The authorities have now launched a probe into the matter and the case is being investigated.
It’s been speculated that the extremists have carried out the torching incident for levy amount, however no confirmation about the same has been made so far. Further information is being gathered about the outfit behind the incident.
Significantly, the incident has taken place hours before the visit of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who is all set to visit Hazaribagh on Wednesday, October 2. The PM during the visit will be inaugurating the “PM Janjatiye Unnat Gram Yojna” alongside holding interaction with the local tribal groups.
It is worth mentioning here, that this is not the first time that the Maoists have carried out act of arson, disrupting operations at mines or a road construction site and the extremists are notorious for carrying out such acts for levy purposes in the state for long.
In a similar act carried out by the extremists in October last year, four vehicles engaged in construction work of a railway track were also torched near Shahpur Hesa Kundar village under Katkamsandi police station area of Hazaribagh district.
Among the vehicles torched by the extremists included a pay loader, two trucks and a pickup van. The ultras had also dropped pamphlet on the spot, claiming responsibility of the arson incident.
In another case, the extremists had torched as many as five vehicles including four tractors and a poclain machine indulged in construction work near Mahuadad of insurgency-hit Latehar in May last year.
It was then reported that armed cadres of the banned Maoist group barged into a river site near Sarnadih village under Mahuadad police station and torched the vehicles. The arson incident was reportedly carried out by the cadres of Koyel Shankh Zonal Committee (KSZC) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) to pressurize the private firm for levy money.
