KOLKATA, May 17 (AGENCIES): Maoists have called a 48-hour long general strike across the country from May 21, demanding unconditional release of arrested three Maoist central committee members - Pulendu Sekhar Mukherjee aka Sahebda, Varanasi Subhramanyam alias Sukant and Vijay Kumar Arya alias Jaspalji. All three were arrested from Barsoi village of Katihar in Bihar along with four other regional leaders on April 29. Abhay, the spokesperson of Maoist central committee announced the bandh in six states - Andhra Pradesh, Chattishgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and in Bengal. Security forces fear that Maoists may go for an offensive during this bandh to keep pressure on the government. The intelligence officers have reasons to believe that the red brigade have chances to attack government establishments and security forces in Bihar and Jharkhand.
