India’s NIA Court Sentences 10 Maoist Rebels To Death Over 2013 Attack

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Jagdalpur: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, condemned ten Maoist offenders to death for their roles in the 2013 Jhiram Ghati attack, which killed 27 persons, including numerous top Congress officials.

Maoists attacked a Congress Parivartan Yatra convoy going from Sukma to Jagdalpur on May 25, 2013, in the Jhiram Valley of Bastar's Darbha region. According to the NIA, the terrorists detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) before opening fire and using grenades on the convoy. Twenty-four persons were killed on the site, and three more died later from their injuries, bringing the total death toll to 27. More than thirty-five persons got injured.

Among the deceased were Nand Kumar Patel, then-Chhattisgarh Congress chief and his son Dinesh Patel, former Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla, and former MLA Uday Mudaliyar. The attack seriously damaged much of the state Congress leadership at that time.

On September 5, 2026, the court found all ten accused guilty under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities ( Prevention) Act. During the extended trial, the prosecution called 101 witnesses. Among the 11 individuals initially charged, one passed away during the trial, while 28 others listed in the chargesheet are still at large.

Special Judge Ajay Singh Rajput pronounced the death sentence on September 16. The convicts can challenge the verdict in the High Court within 30 days, and their defence lawyers have said they will appeal the judgment.

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