Sunday, January 23 2005 09:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Gaya: Stepping up attacks ahead of Bihar Assembly polls, outlawed CPI (Maoists) naxalites today (Jan 22, 2005) gunned down former MP and LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) candidate for Imamganj Assembly constituency Rajesh Kumar and three others in Gaya district.

The naxalites also torched vehicles of political parties in Gaya and Aurangabad districts, police said.

Heavily armed naxalites attacked three campaign vehicles of Kumar, a Lok Sabha MP from Gaya, and sprayed bullets, killing him and his three supporters on the spot at Madar village in Gaya district, police said.

Two companies of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) were deployed in the area to assist local police in combing operations against the ultras. Senior police officials, including DIG (Magadh range) Sunil Kumar and SP (Gaya) Sanjay Singh were camping at the spot.

In a separate incident, armed naxalites torched a campaign vehicle of the Congress nominee for Goh Assembly constituency Kaukan Kadri near Jaitiya village in neighbouring Aurangabad district this afternoon, police said.

The CPI (Maoist) has given a call for Assembly poll boycott in Bihar and Jharkhand.