Earlier on late Sunday night (October 11), the suspected Maoists also set ablaze a truck full loaded with ‘Sal’ leaves in Kotwali area of West Midnapore district in West Bengal. According to local police, a mob, suspected to be the activists of CPI (Maoists), stopped the truck and asked the driver and his helper to alight. Later on, the group of people set the truck into fire and ran away into nearby forest.
 
Although there was no casualty report from the incident but it took place despite the presence of joint security forces of West Bengal police and CRPF in certain nearby Maoist pockets including trouble-torn Lalgarh.

 
Some reports mentioned that the Maoists also raised slogans at the incident site, demanding the release of tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato, who is arrested from Lalgarh on September 26, 09. But there was no official confirmation of such slogans or demands.
 
Following the Centre’s decision to extend full support to West Bengal’s Left Front government to combat Maoist terror, the Maoists have called a two-day bandh (strike) in Jharkhand and Bihar in protest.
 
Both the states are on a high alert after the call of strike, but the reaction of the Maoists is really a matter of concern. It is really a tough time for the Centre as well as state government to tackle with the violent Maoists that target public transport. Seeing the recent happenings, we can expect more such attacks in the coming time. The police should remain on high alert to avert such possible attacks on trucks, trains and the railway tracks as well.