Jhiram Ghati attack: NIA court sentences 10 Maoists to death

More than 13 years after one of the deadliest Maoist attacks in Chhattisgarh, 10 convicts have been sentenced to death by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in the Jhiram Ghati case.

The attack on May 25, 2013, killed 29 people and virtually wiped out the Congress leadership in the state.

Congress convoy ambushed in Bastar

The Maoists attacked a convoy of Congress leaders returning after attending a Parivartan Rally on a national highway in Jhiram Ghati, under the Darbha police station limits in Bastar district.

The attack targeted senior Congress leaders travelling through the region and resulted in the deaths of politicians, security personnel and civilians.

Among those killed were then-state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, former Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Mahendra Karma, former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla and former MLA Uday Mudliyar.

NIA trial continued for more than a decade

A special NIA court in Jagdalpur had convicted all 10 surviving accused on September 5, after a trial that lasted more than 13 years. The court had scheduled the announcement of the quantum of punishment for September 16.

Eleven accused had originally faced trial, but one died during the proceedings. The prosecution examined 101 witnesses and relied on forensic and documentary evidence during the trial.

The NIA had filed its first chargesheet in September 2014 and a supplementary chargesheet in September 2015. Several other accused named during the investigation remain absconding.

Attack left lasting impact on Chhattisgarh politics

The Jhiram Ghati attack was one of the most significant attacks on the political leadership of Chhattisgarh during the height of the Maoist insurgency in Bastar.

The killing of Patel, Karma, Shukla, Mudliyar and other Congress leaders dealt a major blow to the party's leadership in the state. Security personnel and civilians were also among those killed in the attack.

The conviction of the 10 accused comes more than 13 years after the massacre, bringing the long-running trial to its sentencing stage.