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Crime, law and justice
13 years after Jhiram Valley massacre, 10 Maoist convicts get death penalty
A special NIA court in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur sentenced 10 Maoist convicts to death over the 2013 Jhiram Valley massacre, which killed 27 people, including Congress leaders.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday welcomed a special NIA court's decision to award the death penalty to all 10 convicts in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack case, calling it a "victory of justice".
Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, however, termed the punishment "incomplete justice" and said those who masterminded the massacre were still free.
A special NIA court in Jagdalpur sentenced the 10 convicted Maoists, including two women, to death in the 13-year-old case in which 27 people, including senior Congress leaders, were killed. The court had convicted the accused on September 5 and reserved its order on the quantum of punishment for Wednesday.
In a post on X, Sai said the Jhiram Valley massacre was a painful chapter in Chhattisgarh's history and that memories of the tragedy would continue to cause pain. "We lost senior leaders of the state, security personnel and common citizens in this horrific communist violence," he said.
"The death sentence awarded by the Jagdalpur NIA court to the 10 Maoists found guilty in the case is a victory of justice. The NIA also deserves appreciation for taking the investigation to its logical conclusion," Sai said.
He also said Chhattisgarh had been freed from armed Maoist insurgency under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and that Bastar, once affected by Left-Wing Extremism, was moving towards peace, trust and development.
The Chief Minister also said, "This is also a moment for introspection, especially for those who engage in politics over the bodies of tribals and who provide intellectual and ideological support to terror. 'Urban Naxals', too, must realise the consequences of sheltering or abetting terror for vested interests are invariably catastrophic for everyone. The monster of terror battles against Indian democracy, the Constitution, and respects no ideological or territorial boundaries."
He added, "I bow to the souls of all those who lost their lives in that brutal Jhiram attack. A humble tribute."
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who holds the Home portfolio, said the verdict showed the NIA investigation had been carried out thoroughly. Speaking to reporters in Kawardha, he said the death sentence was awarded after the court considered the evidence collected by the agency. "Today, it has become clear that the NIA conducted the investigation with great effort and sincerity," he said.
Sharma said the Congress had unnecessarily tried to politicise the issue and target some people without sufficient basis. Responding to Baghel's criticism, he said there was no basis for his dissatisfaction.
"When Baghel was the Chief Minister (2018-23), he used to say he had evidence relating to the Jhiram Ghati attack in his pocket. Why did he not bring it out?" Sharma asked. "An attempt was being made to mislead people. The investigation was still going on. If you have something to say, give your statement before the NIA. Speaking at public gatherings will not achieve anything," he said.
Asked about senior Maoist leaders who had surrendered in Telangana and were allegedly involved in the Jhiram attack, Sharma said action would be taken under the government's surrender and rehabilitation policy.
"Rehabilitation policies are decisions taken by governments according to the prevailing circumstances. Those who have surrendered will be dealt with as per the applicable procedure under the surrender policy," he said.
Baghel, in a social media post, said the punishment given to the Maoists' "foot soldiers" was neither proportionate nor justice. "Those who hatched the conspiracy and those who carried out this massacre are still roaming free," he said.
He alleged that the names of senior Maoist leaders had been removed from the NIA case earlier and that they were not even charged. "Neither the NIA nor the inquiry commission investigated the conspiracy angle," he alleged, adding that BJP leaders had repeatedly obstructed the investigation.
"The question of changing our position because of the court's verdict does not arise. We still believe that justice is incomplete because the investigation is incomplete," Baghel said.
Barsa Vetti, a close relative of convict Joga Madkami, also questioned the verdict and asked why senior Maoist leaders who had surrendered and were allegedly involved in the attack were not being questioned.
Speaking to reporters, he said he was upset over the conviction of what he called "innocent" tribals. "Joga was not a Maoist and he had also served twice as the sarpanch of Chikpal village panchayat," Vetti said.
He claimed several Maoists from Bastar's Darbha division had since surrendered and that some of those allegedly involved in the attack had either died or laid down arms. "If those who carried out the attack have surrendered and are with the government, why is the government not investigating them?" he asked.
Jagdalpur-based social activist Bela Bhatia also questioned the verdict and called it devoid of justice.
The Jhiram Valley attack took place on May 25, 2013, when Maoists ambushed a Congress Parivartan Yatra in Bastar ahead of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. Twenty-seven people were killed, including then state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh, former minister Mahendra Karma, former Union minister Vidya Charan Shukla and Congress leader Uday Mudliyar.