2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist Attack: 294 Hearings, 101 Witnesses, 13 Years Later, 10 Get Death Sentences

More than 13 years after the Jhiram Valley Maoist attack that killed 29 people, including several senior Congress leaders, a special NIA court in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district on Wednesday sentenced all 10 surviving convicts to death.

The Special NIA Court in Jagdalpur had convicted the 10 accused, including two women, on September 5 and reserved its decision on the quantum of punishment. On Wednesday, the court awarded the death penalty to all 10, marking the latest chapter in one of the most consequential Maoist attacks in Chhattisgarh.

The attack took place on May 25, 2013, when Maoists ambushed a Congress convoy returning after its Parivartan Rally ahead of the state Assembly elections. The attackers reportedly used explosives, firearms and grenades after blocking the convoy's route. The assault lasted for nearly two hours, according to prosecution-related reporting.

Among those killed were then Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh, former Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla, and Congress leader and former MLA Uday Mudliyar. Security personnel and civilians were also among the victims.

The investigation was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) two days after the attack. The agency subsequently filed its first chargesheet in 2014 and a supplementary chargesheet in 2015. The trial ultimately continued for more than a decade.

The scale of the proceedings underlines how long the case remained in the judicial system. At least 294 hearings were held and 101 prosecution witnesses were examined. Eleven accused had initially faced trial, but one died during the proceedings. The NIA chargesheet also named 28 other accused who remain wanted, according to current reporting.

Investigators had alleged that the attack was planned as part of the CPI (Maoist)'s Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign, with senior Maoist leaders allegedly discussing targets before the ambush. The prosecution case included charges relating to criminal conspiracy and murder, besides provisions of the UAPA and arms and explosives laws.

The death sentences, however, do not mean the case has reached its final legal stage. The defence had indicated after the September 5 conviction that it would challenge the verdict in a higher court. The death penalty awarded by a trial court is also subject to the higher judicial process.

For the families of those killed, Wednesday's order comes after 13 years of investigation, hearings and legal proceedings. But with 28 other chargesheeted accused still wanted, the wider legal story surrounding the Jhiram Valley attack is not yet over.