Gaya, Aug. 30: Over a dozen Maoists raided the construction site of a stone crushing unit and blew up a crane.

The unit was set up by Narayani Enterprises, a sub-contractor of Gammon India.

The construction firm is engaged in road construction work near Bandhua station under the Muffassil police station.

According to the reports reaching the district headquarters today, heavily armed Maoists took the employees of the construction firm, located at the same site as a stone crusher unit, into temporary captivity.

The Maoists then blew up a crane machine.

The gadget was parked at the construction site, said sources.

Rajan Sinha, the deputy superintendent of police in the area, said the rebels used detonators for the explosion, which also blew up the machine.

Before fleeing, the Naxalites left behind a note at the site demanding 10 per cent of the project cost as extortion.