Raipur/Jagdalpur, September 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
An NIA special court in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, has sentenced 10 convicts to death in the 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre case, in which 29 people were killed in a Maoist attack on a Congress convoy in Bastar.
The attack took place on May 25, 2013, when Maoists ambushed the Congress party’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’ in the Darbha region. Among those killed were then Chhattisgarh Congress president Nandkumar Patel, senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma and former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla.
The assault began with an improvised explosive device (IED) blast, after which trees were felled to block the road. The attackers then opened heavy fire from the surrounding forest and separated political leaders from security personnel during the assault.
The trial continued for nearly 13 years, during which the court recorded statements from 101 witnesses and examined extensive documentary evidence. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed an approximately 1,000-page charge sheet in 2015.
The court had initially tried 11 accused. One of them died during the proceedings, leaving 10 to face trial. The convicts sentenced to death are Pramila Modiyam, Sumitra Punem, Kosa Kawasi, Mukka Mandavi, Markami Deva, Aayat Markam, Bajami Sena, Chaitu Lekam, Joga Markami and Mahadev Naga. All 10 are currently lodged in Central Jail.
The prosecution had sought the death penalty, while the defence argued for lesser punishment. The judge noted that the death sentences require confirmation by the High Court and that the convicts have the right to appeal within 30 days.
According to the investigation, the attack had been planned weeks in advance. The Maoists initially intended to target a security force outpost in the Minpa area of Sukma. The plan was subsequently changed at a meeting held in Pidia village of Bijapur in February 2013, which was attended by senior Maoist commander Devji, with the Darbha-bound Congress convoy chosen as the target.
The Jhiram Ghati massacre remains one of the deadliest attacks targeting political leaders in Chhattisgarh. With the trial court having delivered its verdict, the death sentences will now be subject to proceedings before the High Court.
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