Chhattisgarh: NIA court convicts 10 persons in 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack

A National Investigation Agency court on Saturday convicted 10 persons accused in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack that killed 29 persons, including senior Congress leaders, reported The Indian Express.

NIA judge Ajay Singh Rajput will announce the sentence on September 16.

On May 25, 2013, more than 150 Maoists had ambushed a Congress convoy in Bastar’s Jhiram Ghati ahead of Assembly elections. Among those killed were Congress’ state unit chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh, and former MLA Uday Mudliyar.

Party leader Mahendra Karma, who played an instrumental role in organising the anti-Maoist state-sponsored militia Salwa Judum, was also killed in the attack.

The campaign was launched in 2005 to target villages seen as harbouring Maoists. Armed vigilantes allegedly torched homes and forced villagers to flee to government-run camps.

Translated as “purification hunt” in the Gondi language, Salwa Judum was presented by the state government as a spontaneous movement by the region’s Adivasi community against the Maoists.

However, human rights activists have accused the Salwa Judum of coercing residents into leaving their villages and supporting the group. With the tribal community split between both sides, there were several deaths over several months.

An investigation into the Jhiram Valley attack showed that it was primarily targeted at Karma, reported The Indian Express.

Apart from the Congress leaders, 10 security personnel were...

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