Patna / Raipur: Two CRPF jawans were killed and three injured when Maoists detonated an IED as the jawans were on their way to a polling booth in Jamui parliamentary constituency on Thursday.
The jawans were travelling in two jeeps when the IED, planted under a bridge, exploded at 5.30 am.
“Two jawans of the 131 CRPF battalion were killed and seven others were injured in a landmine blast near Bhimbandh in Munger district while on their way to a polling station in nearby Jamui,” additional chief electoral officer R. Lakshaman. The injured jawans were airlifted to a private hospital in Patna, where home secretary Amir Subhani and DGP Abhayanand visited them.
The Naxals called for an election boycott and pasted posters with such calls at several places across Bihar and Jharkhand. Nearly 90,000 security personnel and eight IAF helicopters were deployed for elections in the two states. Over 20 IEDs planted by the rebels around polling booths and on the roads were defused.
Minor clashes between rival groups were reported in about five places, including in Chakand, Gaya where the RAF had to lathicharge and open fire in the air. Polling at 23 booths in Jamui and Nawada could not take place due to ‘security reasons’,” said Mr Lakshaman.
10 Bastar booths attacked
In an other incident in Chattisgarh; Maoist-affected Bastar Lok Sabha seat on Thursday witnessed a low voter turnout of 52 percent, even as reports of incidents of violence by Naxals poured in here from remote areas of the sprawling constituency.
A policeman was injured when Naxals ambushed an election party being escorted by security forces near forested village of Pordem in south Bastar’s Sukma district.
“Reports reaching the state police headquarters said Naxals opened fire on ten polling centres while voting was underway. Security forces deployed at the booths retaliated forcing the ultras to retreat into nearby forests.
Also, a Naxal was gunned down on Wednesday night and another injured in an encounter in Sukma district.
