Tuesday, May 2 2006 17:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Seven CPI (Maoist) activists were arrested and 24 others detained for questioning following raids in Vaishali district after a strike at Jandaha town,about 60 km from here, in which a police station was attacked and an abortive bid made to loot a bank.

The arrests followed intensive raids conducted by a joint team of Special Task Force, Bihar Military Police and Special Auxiliary Police in the six police station areas where Naxalites have a free run, deputy inspector-general of police (Tirhut range) Gupteshwar Pandey told sources today (May 2, 2006).

The Special Auxiliary Police is a new force created by the state government through recruitment of ex-servicemen.

"Two dozen people, suspected to be sympathisers of the Naxalite organisation, were detained for questioning," he said.

Vaishali superintendent of police Preeta Verma said the gas cutter, used to break open the locks at the main gate of Canara Bank branch on Friday night, located in the main market of the Jandaha town, had been recovered from the Jandaha police station area.

Security has been tightened in the Naxalite-influenced six police station areas of Hajipur Sadar, Patepur, Raja Paker, Mahua, Jandaha and Kartaha with the deployment of the BMP jawans, the SP said.

In a grim reminder of the massive Naxal attack in Jehanabad jail in November, last year, over 200 CPI (Maoist) guerrillas attacked Jandaha in Vaishali district past Friday midnight and opened a barrage of fire at the police station prompting retaliation by policemen.