Rajdhani stopped by Maoists,drama ends,all safe

Midnapore (WB): Armed activists of a Maoist-backed group today stopped the Bhubaneswar-Delhi Rajdhani Express and held up the prestigious train for several hours in a hostage-type situation in a jungle area in West Midnapore district but all 1,200 passengers were safe.

The train was secured after dusk by CRPF and the state police who were rushed to the spot where it was under the control of the activists of the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities(PCPA), five hours after the dramatic incident that started at about 2.30 PM.

“The train is safe and passengers are safe,” said Home Minister P Chidambaram, who monitored the situation closely in New Delhi. There is no sign of any adversary at the scene, he said. The train left Bhubaneswar at 9 AM.