A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, on September 16, 2026, handed death sentences to all ten accused who were found guilty of the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack. The attack on May 25, 2013, resulted in the deaths of 27 people, among them senior Indian National Congress leaders Vidya Charan Shukla, Nand Kumar Patel and Mahendra Karma.
Verdict and Sentencing
The court’s decision, announced in a statement released by the NIA, cited convictions under a long list of provisions, including sections 147, 148, 149, 121, 121(A), 122, 341, 302, 307, 396, 397, 427 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code, sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, and sections 16, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The ten convicted individuals—Pramila Modiyam, Chaitu Lekam alias Munna, Sumitra alias Sumitra Punem Modiyam, Mukka Mandvi, Kosa Kavasi alias Kosaram, Aayata Markam, Madkami Deva, Joga Madkami, Banjami Snna alias Chamru alias Denga, and Mahadev Nag—were each sentenced to capital punishment.
Earlier, on September 5, the same NIA court had formally convicted the ten men after a trial that recorded testimony from 101 prosecution witnesses. One of the original accused died while in judicial custody before the verdict was delivered.
Details of the 2013 Attack
According to the agency’s briefing, the attack was carried out by members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). The militants targeted a convoy of roughly 20 vehicles that was transporting Congress leaders as part of the “Parivartan Yatra.” A land‑mine explosion was detonated to block the convoy’s route, after which gunfire and grenade attacks were launched indiscriminately.
The on‑spot death toll rose to 24, with more than 35 persons injured. Among those killed instantly were senior Congress figures Nand Kumar Patel, Mahendra Karma, Uday Mudaliyar, Dinesh Patel, and ten police personnel. Three additional victims, including former Union Minister Vidya Charan Shukla, later succumbed to their injuries, bringing the final death count to 27.
In the aftermath of the assault, the assailants seized a cache of weapons: nine AK‑47 rifles, seven INSAS rifles, two SLRs, four 9 mm pistols and accompanying magazines before fleeing the scene.
The NIA’s original charge sheet listed 39 individuals, among them two senior Maoist leaders—Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji and Barse Deva—who surrendered after the incident. Although they were included in the charges, they remained listed as wanted while the trial of the ten convicted continued.
Political and Rights‑Based Reactions
Opposition leaders from the Congress party, who had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the guilty verdict, reiterated their concerns on the day of the sentencing. Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel posted on X that the investigation remained incomplete, noting that top Naxalite leaders implicated in the conspiracy had not been formally charged. He accused the BJP of obstructing the inquiry and stressed that “justice remains incomplete because the investigation itself was incomplete.”
In contrast, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the verdict as a triumph of justice. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for what he described as the eradication of Naxalism from the state. Sai said the death penalty “liberates the State from the clutches of armed Maoism” and called for introspection among those who “play politics on the corpse of tribal communities.”
The verdict also drew criticism from human‑rights advocates. The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) issued a statement expressing concern over the use of capital punishment, arguing that it raises “grave concerns of unequal access to justice, individual culpability, and the disproportionate impact of the harshest punishments upon the poorest and most marginalised sections of society.”
While the court’s decision marks the culmination of a 13‑year legal process, the broader political debate over accountability for the 2013 massacre continues. The NIA’s investigation concluded that armed cadres of the CPI (Maoist) acted in concert with local committees to execute a “Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign” aimed at senior Congress leaders and security personnel. Whether further prosecutions of senior Maoist figures will follow remains a point of contention among political parties and civil‑society groups alike.
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