45 Ranvir Sena men held for Bihar carnage

He said that 41 Sena men were arrested when the police conducted raids at different places in Bhojpur district during the past three days. Besides, the four named accused in the carnage case were also taken into custody by the police in Jehanabad last night, police sources said.

In yet another development, Chief Minister Rabri Devi today announced that a special court would soon be constituted to try the cases relating to the carnage.

She said that the state government was also contemplating constituting a judicial commission to inquire into the carnage so as to 8220;expose the forces backing the private armies of the landlords and other naxalite outfits.8221;

Rabri Devi said that the state government would not spare anyone involved in the case.

Meanwhile, surface transport and commercial transaction were paralysed today following a dawn-to-dusk Bihar bandh8217; called by 17 Left Democratic Parties protesting against the Jehanabad carnage and deteriorating law and order situation.

Official sources said more than 500 bandh supporters were rounded up so far, with 200 alone in the State capital. However, the sources said no untoward incident was reported from anywhere.

Sources said Samajwadi State party chief Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and CPIML State spokesman K D Yadav along with their supporters were detained while they were blocking rail and road traffic in different places here.

Railway sources said traffic on the Patna-Gaya, Mugalsarai-Danapur, Patna-Mokamah, Gaya-Dhanbad and other sections in north Bihar was partially affected by blockade of tracks by bandh supporters.

Sources said that Railway Protection Force RPF and Government Railway Police GRP personnel had been deputed in all trains and sensitive pockets to ensure smooth rail services. Several long distance express and passenger trains were running late in some sections while a few were stranded in the State.

A report from Hazaribagh said that activists of different political parties supporting the bandh were blocking the Grand Chord section near Hazaribagh Road station since morning. The supporters were blocking GT Road at different points paralysing road communication. Besides, traffic on the national highway at Purnia, Khagaria and Barauni was also obstructed.

Reports from different district headquarters said that most commercial establishment and markets were closed and private vehicles were off the roads. Meanwhile, in Patna all business establishments and markets were closed. Leaders of different political parties arrested during the demonstration alleged that police resorted to lathicharge on peaceful bandh supporters in different parts of the State. The 17 parties which had called the bandh include Janata Dal, CPI, CPIM, CPIML, Samajwadi Party, SUCI, Marxist Coordination Committee, MCPI and Forward Bloc.