Jhiram Valley Massacre: NIA Court Sentences 10 Convicts to Death, 13 Years After Chhattisgarh Maoist Attack

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jagdalpur has sentenced all 10 convicts to death in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack case, more than 13 years after the deadly ambush in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region. Special Judge Ajay Singh Rajput pronounced the sentence on September 16, 2026, after the court had convicted the 10 accused on September 5.

The attack took place on May 25, 2013, when Maoists ambushed a Congress convoy returning from its Parivartan Rally in the Jhiram Valley area of Bastar. The assault killed senior Congress leaders as well as civilians and security personnel. Reports on the casualty count vary, with several current reports putting the number of deaths at 29, while other official reporting has cited 27 fatalities. More than 30 people were injured.

Among those killed were then Chhattisgarh Congress president Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh Patel, former Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla and former MLA Uday Mudliyar. The attack dealt a major blow to the Congress leadership in the state and became one of the most significant incidents of Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh.

The investigation was handed over to the NIA shortly after the attack. The agency subsequently filed its case against a large number of suspects, while 11 accused were arrested during the investigation. One of those accused died during the trial, leaving 10 to face the proceedings that culminated in their conviction earlier this month.

The court found the 10 accused guilty under multiple provisions of the law, including sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act. The prosecution case centred on allegations of criminal conspiracy, murder and involvement in the Maoist operation that targeted the Congress convoy. The death sentences, however, do not mean the legal process has ended. The convicts have been given time to appeal before the High Court, and a death sentence imposed by a trial court is subject to confirmation by the higher court. The defence has indicated that the verdict will be challenged.

The Jhiram Valley case has remained under scrutiny for more than a decade because of the scale of the attack and the senior political figures who were killed. The latest ruling marks a major development in the long-running case, while the appellate proceedings will determine whether the convictions and death sentences are upheld, modified or overturned.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Hindustan Times.