More than 13 years after Maoists carried out one of their biggest-ever attacks in Chhattisgarh’s Jhiram Ghati, killing 29 people and virtually wiping out the Congress leadership in the state, 10 convicts have been sentenced to death by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court.
Maoist Attack on Congress Leaders in Bastar
On May 25, 2013, a convoy of Congress leaders was ambushed by Maoists while returning from a Parivartan Rally. The attack occurred on a national highway in Jhiram Ghati, located within the limits of the Darbha police station in Bastar district. This incident highlights ongoing violence in the region attributed to Maoist insurgency.
The sentence will be executed only after the high court’s order and the convicts will remain in the central jail until then. Statements from 101 witnesses were recorded and a large tranche of documents examined during the case. Earlier this month, Special Judge Abhay Singh Rajput of the NIA special court in Jagdalpur convicted 10 accused, including two women. On Wednesday, the court sentenced all 10 convicts to death under seven of the 24 charges against them and fined them Rs 800 each. They can appeal against the verdict in the high court within 30 days.
