Maoists set two vehicles on fire in Chhattisgarh ahead of Monday bandh

Maoists on Sunday put two vehicles, including a private passenger bus, on fire in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, ahead of the bandh call they have given on Monday, police said.

Nobody was injured in the two incidents. "While the bus was set ablaze near Gatam village, a multi-utility-vehicle (MUV) was torched at Karcheli. 

Both fall under Katekalyan police station limits," a senior police official told. The bus, belonging to a private travel company, was on its way to Jagdalpur from Dantewada when it was stopped near Gatam village by over two dozen armed Maoists, he said. 

They asked the passengers to get off, and set it ablaze. In the second incident, Naxals stopped the MUV carrying employees of Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency who were visiting Karcheli for solar electrification-related work. They didn't harm the employees but torched the vehicle.

Security forces were rushed to both the spots, the police official said, and a combing operation was launched. Maoists have given a day-long nationwide bandh call tomorrow, to protest alleged fake encounters, rape of tribal women by the security personnel and non-fulfilment of promises made to farmers by the government, the officer said. 

On Saturday, the rebels had torched a private passenger bus in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. According to the police, Maoists were committing these acts to enforce tomorrow's bandh.

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