A daylong general strike called by a students' group shut schools, shops and businesses across a northeastern Indian state Nov. 3 to protest authorities' failure to stop bomb blasts that killed at least 81 people, officials said.

Police have arrested five people for questioning and are trying to determine who was responsible for the coordinated bombings Oct. 30 in Assam state, said Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, the area's inspector general of police.

"We are not able to say anything because the investigation is in progress. We've got some leads, but we can't disclose them," Mahanta said.

The 11-hour strike called by the All Assam Students' Union paralyzed life in the state.

"We have called the shutdown to protest the state government's total failure in protecting the lives of citizens. We also condemn all forms of violence in the state," said Samujjal Bhattacharjee, an adviser to the students' union.