10 convicted in Jhiram Ghati case get death sentence

Jagdalpur | Correspondent: A special NIA court has sentenced 10 individuals to death for their involvement in the largest Maoist attack on a political party in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district. 28 people had lost their lives in the massacre, which took place 13 years ago. Terming the act as falling within the "rarest of rare" category, the special NIA court adopted this stern stance.

Earlier, after hearing arguments from both sides, the court had convicted all 10 accused on September 5, 2024, and the sentencing was announced on Wednesday. This marks the first time in legal history that 10 Naxalites have been sentenced to death simultaneously in a major Naxal attack case within the Bastar division.

The convicts sentenced include Pramila Modiyam, Sumitra Punem, Mukka Mandavi, Madkami Deva, Kosa Kawasi, Aayat Markam, Banjami Sena, Chaitu Lekam, Joga Madkami, and Mahadev Naga.

The judicial process for the Jhiram case spanned approximately 13 years. During the trial, the prosecution recorded the statements of 101 witnesses. Initially, 11 accused were arrested in the case, but one passed away during the proceedings; the trial subsequently continued against the remaining 10. On September 5, the court of Special Judge Ajay Singh Rajput convicted all 10 of them.

According to NIA lawyers, the court found the convicts guilty under Section 302 (murder), Section 307 (attempt to murder), and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

101 witnesses and solid evidence formed the basis

Throughout this long and complex legal process, which lasted nearly 13 years, the NIA presented concrete digital evidence, weapons, and documents before the court. During the proceedings, the statements of 101 witnesses were recorded; they recounted the sequence of events and the brutality of the Maoists before the court.

Currently, all 10 convicts are lodged in the Jagdalpur Central Jail under tight security. Under the rules, the convicts have a period of 30 days to appeal against this verdict in the Chhattisgarh High Court.

Jhiram Ghati Massacre

The Jhiram Ghati massacre in Chhattisgarh stands as one of the most harrowing and brutal Naxalite incidents in the history of Indian democracy and politics.

This horrific incident took place on May 25, 2013, in the Jhiram Valley, located in the Darbha Valley region of Bastar district. At the time, the Congress party was conducting a 'Parivartan Yatra' (March for Change) in anticipation of the upcoming state assembly elections.

As the Congress convoy was returning to Jagdalpur after concluding a meeting in Sukma, around 4 PM, a group of approximately 200 to 300 armed Naxalites, who had been lying in wait, detonated a landmine to halt the convoy and opened indiscriminate fire from both sides of the hills.

In this brutal attack, the Naxalites wiped out the entire top-tier leadership of the Chhattisgarh Congress. A total of 28 people lost their lives in the attack, including the then State Congress President Nandkumar Patel, his son Dinesh Patel, former Leader of the Opposition Mahendra Karma (known as 'Bastar Tiger'), former MLA Uday Mudaliar, and several security personnel and party workers.

Former Union Minister Vidyacharan Shukla was also critically injured in the attack and subsequently passed away while undergoing treatment.

A long series of political and legal developments followed the investigation into the Jhiram Ghati incident. Immediately after the event, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the probe at the behest of the central and state governments. Simultaneously, a judicial commission was constituted. Later, the state government also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), yet political debate regarding the key aspects of the criminal conspiracy persisted. Following a lengthy judicial process, the special NIA court in Jagdalpur convicted 10 accused individuals in this murder case in September 2026 and sentenced them to death on Wednesday.

Representative image.