On Monday, shops and businesses remained closed in Ranchi City during the first day of a two-day shutdown called by Maoist rebels after one of their commanders was arrested.

Transport links were also disrupted and passengers were seen sitting with their luggage at the railway station.

[Naveen, Passenger]:
"We are going to Purulia and there are others who are going to Jamshedpur. We have come here to play Taekwondo. We were not aware of a shutdown called by the Maoists. We have managed to reach the station by rickshaw, as the buses are not operating. Some of the trains have also been cancelled. We don’t know how long we’ll be here."

[Bholu, Bus Driver]:
"We are daily wage-earners. There are regular shutdowns here. There are 500-600 workers here, and recurring shutdowns either by the Maoists, or any other reason seriously affect us."

In recent months, Maoist rebels have stepped up attacks in response to a government security offensive to clear them out of their jungle bases.

The rebels have spread into rural pockets in 20 states and the movement has upset business prospects worth billions of dollars in mining industries in central and eastern India.