Nearly 6 ft of the Up track and 3 ft of the Down track were blown up in the blast. The nearby railway cabin and ticket counter were also blasted and the communication system got snapped.

A case against Ashutosh Kumar, alleged to be a local leader of the Maoists, and 25 unnamed activists of the CPI (Maoist) has been instituted by the railway police in connection with the blasts.

According to Gaya SP Amit Jain, a combing operation was going on to nab the ultras who made good their escape. No arrest has so far been made in this connection, said Jain.

The East-Central Railway had suspended movement of passenger trains in Gaya-Dhanbad, Gaya-Patna and Gaya-Mughalsarai and Gaya-Kiul sections from Saturday midnight itself and also diverted some trains as a precautionary measure.

Terrified passengers kept away even from the railway stations fearing Maoist attacks and even the otherwise busy Gaya station wore a completely deserted look in the morning.

It was only towards noon that some activity was witnessed at Gaya station when movement of trains on Patna-Gaya and Gaya-Kiul sections was restored after a gap of nearly 16 hours. The few trains that left Gaya for Patna and Kiul were virtually empty, though.