Maoist bandh hits normal life in Agency areas

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Maoist bandh protesting the arrest of special zonal committee of Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) Damodar alias Azad reportedly near Dandabadi area of Narayanpatna in Odisha disrupted normal life in the Agency areas of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts on Tuesday.Commercial establishments downed shutters and vehicles remained off the road in Maoist strongholds in the three districts.The Maoists closed the road between Chintapalle and Narsipatnam in Visakhapatnam district by cutting down trees.RTC suspended 15 services to Maoist affected areas in the region and short terminated some of the bus services as a precautionary measure.RTC services to Narayanpatnam in Vizianagaram were suspended for the past few days as Naxalites had damaged a bus plying between Narayanpatnam and Parvatipuram on October 7 demanding that Damodar be immediately produced in the court.However, inspector general of police (north coastal zone), KV Rajendranath Reddy in a press release clarified that the AP police had not arrested Damodar alias Azad.