Hijacked Rajdhani Express: There is a stir in Pakistan after the hijacking of a passenger train ‘Jaffar Express’. In Balochistan province, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has stopped this train in the tunnel and has held hundreds of passengers hostage. This train was going from Quetta to Peshawar.
Pakistani army personnel and other security personnel were also aboard this train, who were going to their home on leave. The way this train was hijacked is being discussed all over the world. But do you know that about 16 years ago, something similar happened in India too, when Naxalites created a sensation by stopping the Rajdhani Express train full of passengers.
When a train was hijacked in Jharkhand in 2009!
This shocking incident took place on 27 October 2009. Naxalites stopped the Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express going to New Delhi at Banstala railway station in West Midnapore district. About 300-400 Naxalite supporters carried out this hijacking. Their demand was that their leader Chhatradhar Mahato be released.
Hundreds of Naxalites had stopped the train
Chhatradhar Mahato was in jail at that time in a different case. The train was released after the intervention of about 20 state police personnel and 150 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. The driver and passengers were completely safe. This incident happened after 1 o’clock late night and ended after about 4 hours. This incident had raised questions on the security system.
The government did not listen to the Naxalites
The CPI Maoist organization had called for a bandh in Jharkhand and Bihar. During this time, the Naxalites stopped this train by pelting stones and took the crew hostage. The Naxalites had then demanded the release of Chhatradhar Mahato, spokesperson of PCPA (People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities supported by Maoists).
The demand of the Maoists was rejected by the then Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee. The government was not in a mood to negotiate with the Naxalites and Maoists. However, the Naxalites also fired bullets in the air to create fear. They tried to enter the train coaches. They had established their control over the engine and some coaches of the train.