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Mumbai · Saturday, 5 September 2026

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13 years after Maoists killed 27 in Chhattisgarh’s Jhiram Ghati, NIA court convicts 10

By Sohail Khan 5 September 2026, 3:28 pm

Thirteen years after a Maoist attack killed 27 people and nearly wiped out Chhattisgarh’s Congress leadership, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Bastar’s Jagdalpur on Saturday convicted all 10 accused in the case.

The convicted accused are Pramila Modiyam, Chaitu Lekam alias Munna, Sumita alias Punem Modiyam, Mukka Mandvi, Kosa Kavasi alias Kosaram, Aayata Markam, Madkami Deva, Joga Madkami, Banjami Snna alias Chamru and Mahadev Nag.

Among the prominent names chargesheeted in the case but not convicted are Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji, a politburo member who surrendered in Telangana this February; Barse Deva, who succeeded Madvi Hidma as commander of Battalion 1 and surrendered this January; and Ganesh Uikey, a central committee member who was killed in a December 2025 encounter in Odisha.

The court will announce the sentences on September 16.

The attack took place on May 25, 2013, when Maoists ambushed a Congress Parivartan Rally and killed several people, including Mahendra Karma, who was instrumental in founding the banned anti-insurgency militia Salwa Judum; state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh; and senior leader and former MLA Uday Mudliyar.

According to investigators, the attack near the inter-district border of Bastar and Sukma districts was primarily aimed at Karma.

The 27 people killed included 10 security personnel. Police records show that the Maoists also looted a 9 mm pistol with two magazines and 20 rounds, two AK-47 rifles with 14 magazines and 455 rounds, 10 hand grenades and communication sets.

The NIA took over the investigation two days after the attack. On September 25, 2014, it filed a chargesheet against nine arrested accused before the NIA Special Court in Jagdalpur. On September 28, 2015, it filed a supplementary chargesheet against 30 more accused.

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The trial lasted more than a decade, with at least 294 hearings. After final arguments were completed this month, the NIA court delivered its judgment on Saturday, September 5.

Arvind Choudhary, the lawyer for eight of the accused, said they would examine the court order before deciding whether to appeal in the high court.

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