after five-hour captivity
Latehar/Garhwa : Bowing to the fervent appeals of the passengers, who were held hostage at Hehegara railway station today, Maoists finally released the 27 UP Barakakana-Mugalsarai BDM passenger train after nearly five hours of captivity. The captors released the train, said an official refusing to elaborate on the matter.
High-level meeting was held in the state capital Ranchi to take stock of the situation ahead of tomorrow's second and final phase of election to eight Lok Sabha seats as the indefinite CPI(Maoist)- sponsored statewide bandh also began past midnight last.
Eyewitnesses present on the site, where the train was under control of about 200 armed Maoists, said the passengers made fervent pleas to the ultras, who seeing their plight, finally relented and let the train move at about 1150 hrs.
Sources said no security personnel were in and around the site except for helicopter seen hovering over for some time.
The Maoists unleashed a reign of terror during their indefinite ''Jharkhand bandh'', hijacking a passenger train at Latehar district and exploding two bombs in another railway station in Palamu district.
Ranchi : Maoists released a passenger train they had hijacked in Jharkhand's Latehar district Wednesday after a three-hour standoff, district and railway officials said. "The train has been released by Maoists and has moved from the station," Latehar District Magistrate Sarvendu Tathagat told the media persons.
"Nobody was harmed at any point of time and all passengers are safe," said A.K. Chandra, chief public relations officer (East Central Railways). The train was allowed to move at about 11.40 a.m.
The train going from Barkakana to Mughalsarai was hijacked by the militants at Hehegada railway station. Over 400 passengers were on board.
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