Verdict comes 13 years after Maoist ambush killed 29 people; death sentences subject to High Court confirmation
TFP Bureau, Jagdalpur, September 16, 2026: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jagdalpur on Wednesday sentenced all 10 convicts in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack case to death, more than 13 years after the ambush that killed 29 people, including several senior Congress leaders.
Special Judge Ajay Singh Rajput pronounced the sentence after the court had convicted all 10 accused on September 5. The case had 11 accused at the trial stage, but one died during the proceedings. The court’s order is subject to confirmation by the High Court, as required in cases involving capital punishment. The convicts have 30 days to challenge the verdict before the High Court.
The trial, which continued for nearly 13 years, included the recording of statements of 101 witnesses and examination of documentary evidence. The prosecution had sought the death penalty, while the defence had argued for a lesser sentence.
The 10 convicts sentenced to death are Pramila Kodiyam alias Jyoti, Banjami alias Sanna, Ayata Markam, Mukka Mandavi, Markami Deva, Kawasi Kosa, Chautu alias Munna, Kosa Kawasi, Mahadev Nag and Sumitra.
The attack took place on May 25, 2013, when Maoists ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders returning from the party’s Parivartan Yatra in the Jhiram Valley area under Darbha in Bastar. The attack claimed the lives of 29 people and left several others injured.
Among those killed were then Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh Patel, former Union Minister Vidya Charan Shukla and former Leader of the Opposition Mahendra Karma. Former Congress MLA Uday Mudliyar and security personnel were also among the victims.
The investigation was subsequently taken up by the NIA, with the case eventually being tried before its special court in Jagdalpur.
The September 16 sentencing marks the latest stage in the long-running legal proceedings. The death sentences will now be subject to judicial scrutiny by the High Court before they can be carried out.
