Bhubaneswar, 3 August (H.S.) In a major act of sabotage on the final day of the Maoist-observed ‘Shaheed Saptah’ (Martyrs’ Week), suspected Naxals detonated landmines and blew up a section of railway tracks between Karampada in Jharkhand and Renjeda in Odisha on Sunday morning, disrupting train movement through the Saranda forest region.
The explosion, which occurred in the early hours under the Bimalagarh railway section, caused extensive damage to the tracks. Fortunately, no trains were operating on the route at the time of the blast, thereby averting casualties. The affected zone lies within the dense Saranda forest , a known Maoist stronghold.
Following the incident, railway operations on the route were immediately suspended. Security forces, including joint teams from the Odisha Police, Jharkhand Police, CRPF, and the elite Jharkhand Jaguars, have launched extensive search and combing operations in the surrounding forest areas.
Bomb detection squads have also been deployed to ensure no further explosives are planted along the rail line. The Karampada and Renjeda railway stations, located near the inter-state border, are considered sensitive transit points frequently targeted by Maoist insurgents.
This attack comes amid a surge in Maoist activity over the past week, marked by the appearance of rebel posters and banners across Odisha’s Malkangiri and Rayagada districts, as well as parts of Telangana and Jharkhand. Intelligence inputs also indicate that Maoists recently looted explosives from mining sites near Banka village under K. Balang police jurisdiction in Odisha.
In anticipation of violence during 'Shaheed Saptah' — observed annually by Maoist groups from July 28 to August 3 — security agencies had placed Odisha’s border districts, including Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, and Kandhamal, on high alert.
The sabotage near Karampada marks one of the most significant incidents reported during this period. As of the latest updates, a damage assessment is underway, and a detailed investigation will follow once the area is secured.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
