To mark the protest against the arrest of their regional committee member the banned CPI( Maoist) Krishna Hansda, Maoists have announced a state-wide bandh in Jharkhand on January 22.

They made public their announcement of a day-long bandh on January 22  by releasing a press release in Giridih today.

Incidentally, security forces had arrested CPI( M-L) Regional Committee member Krishna Hansda who carried a Rs 25 lakh award on his head, on January 13 in Giridih. He was arrested together with a woman Maoist Renuka Murmu.

Their arrest is understood to have weakened their banned outfit. However, in view of their announcement of the bandh, security forces were learnt to be alert.

Sources say that security forces had launched operation Octopus to nab another veteran Maoist Mihir Besra who is leading their outfit in the Kolhan area bordering Jharkhand and Odisha.