A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, on September 16, 2026, sentenced all 10 convicts to death in the 2013 Jhiram Valley (also known as Jheeram Ghati) Maoist attack case.
The attack on May 25, 2013, targeted a Congress Parivartan Yatra convoy travelling from Sukma to Jagdalpur in the Bastar region. Maoist cadres triggered a landmine/IED blast, followed by indiscriminate firing and grenade attacks. The assault killed 27 people (some reports cite 29 including those who later succumbed), including senior Congress leaders such as then state Congress president Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh, former Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla, and Uday Mudliyar, along with security personnel and others. More than 30 people were injured.
The 10 convicts — Pramila Modiyam, Chaitu Lekam alias Munna, Sumitra alias Sumitra Punem Modiyam, Mukka Mandvi, Kosa Kavasi alias Kosaram, Aayata Markam, Madkami Deva, Joga Madkami, Banjami Sanna alias Chamru, and Mahadev Nag — were found guilty on September 5, 2026, under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (including murder and criminal conspiracy), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, and the Explosive Substances Act. The court reserved the quantum of sentence and pronounced the death penalty on September 16
The convicts have the right to appeal the conviction and sentence before the Chhattisgarh High Court (typically within 30 days). Under Indian law, a death sentence awarded by a trial court requires confirmation by the High Court before it can be carried out
The NIA had taken over the investigation shortly after the attack. The trial spanned more than 13 years, with a large number of witnesses examined. Several other accused remain absconding. The verdict has been welcomed by some as a step toward justice in one of the deadliest Maoist attacks in Chhattisgarh’s history, while others have noted that key masterminds are still at large.