NIA court convicts 10 Maoists in 2013 massacre

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, on Saturday, September 5, 2026, convicted all 10 surviving Maoists accused in the deadly 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre. The court found the individuals guilty for their roles in the attack that killed 29 people, including prominent Congress leaders, security personnel, and party workers. The sentencing for the convicted Maoists, who are currently held in Jagdalpur Central Jail, is scheduled to be announced on September 16, 2026. The trial, which concluded with final arguments on August 10, 2026, saw the prosecution present 101 witnesses and extensive forensic and documentary evidence. The attack occurred on May 25, 2013, when heavily armed Maoists ambushed a convoy of the Congress Party's Parivartan Yatra in Jhiram Valley, located between Darbha and Tongpal in Sukma district. The convoy was returning from a rally ahead of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. The incident is considered one of the most brutal acts of Left Wing Extremism-related violence in the region, virtually decimating the state's Congress leadership at the time.