2013 Jhiram Valley Attack: NIA Court Convicts All 10 Accused In Maoist Ambush On Congress Leaders In Bastar

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district on Saturday convicted all 10 accused in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack case, in which 29 people, including senior Congress leaders, were killed.

The attack, one of the deadliest incidents of Left Wing Extremism-related violence, took place on May 25, 2013, when Maoists ambushed the Congress' 'Parivartan Rally' on a national highway in Jhiram Valley, under the jurisdiction of Darbha police station in Bastar district.

Special Judge of the NIA court in Jagdalpur, Abhay Singh Rajput, convicted all 10 accused, including two women, defence lawyer Arvind Choudhary said. The court has reserved its order on the quantum of punishment for September 16.

During the trial, statements of 101 witnesses were recorded, Choudhary said. The defence lawyer said the accused would challenge the verdict in a higher court. “We will appeal against the verdict in the higher court.

We have not received the copy of the judgment yet. We will be able to give the grounds for appeal after receiving it,” Choudhary said. Twenty-nine people, including Congress leaders, civilians and security personnel, were killed and more than 30 others were injured in the attack.

The incident virtually wiped out the Congress' top leadership in Chhattisgarh at the time. Als Read: Influencer Swatantra Bharadwaj Arrested By Delhi Police, Sent To 1-Day Custody Those killed included then-state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh, former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Mahendra Karma, former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla, and senior Congress leader and former MLA Uday Mudliyar.

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Chhattisgarh convicted all 10 accused involved in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack. The court has reserved its order on the quantum of punishment for September 16.

The attack occurred on May 25, 2013, in Jhiram Valley, under the Darbha police station jurisdiction in Bastar district, Chhattisgarh. Maoists ambushed the Congress' 'Parivartan Rally' on a national highway. Twenty-nine people were killed in the attack, including senior Congress leaders, civilians, and security personnel.

More than 30 others sustained injuries during the incident. Sneha is a Senior Copy Editor at ABP Live English, covering national and global news, politics, and social developments. She approaches every story with clarity, accuracy, and a reader-focused perspective.

She holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication from Central University of Jharkhand.