PATNA, May 27: Maoist insurgents blew up railway tracks, blocked roads and killed a policeman in eastern India on Tuesday during a day-long strike, police said.

They damaged a section of track in Bihar state, severely disrupting the eastern rail network, senior officers said.

“They bombed the tracks sometime after midnight, although the police were patrolling the area,” Bimal Kumar, a senior police officer said.

The rebels said they had called an impromptu strike to protest against the recent arrest of some of their leaders.

Guerillas also distributed leaflets in villages and rural towns, saying civilians with no ties to the movement were being tortured by the police for information.

Bus owners in the state capital of Patna said they had cancelled trips to remote villages due to the impromptu strike call.—Reuters