Jhiram Ghati verdict: What remains of the legacy of Mahendra Karma, ‘Tiger of Bastar’, face of Salwa Judum?

NewsPolitical PulseJhiram Ghati verdict: What remains of the legacy of Mahendra Karma, ‘Tiger of Bastar’, face of Salwa Judum?

Premium His family asks why “political conspiracy” angle not probed in the attack; his former colleagues say his role in fighting Maoists can’t be diminished

Mahendra Karma (left), 62, who was killed along with 27 others in the Jhiram Ghati attack, was one of the foremost tribal voices against Maoists in Chhattisgarh; The court convicted all 10 Maoists accused in the attack of May 2013,. (Express Photo, enhanced with AI) 6 min readRaipurSep 7, 2026 07:00 AM IST First published on: Sep 6, 2026 at 06:45 AM IST As the verdict came in on Saturday convicting all the 10 Maoists accused in the Jhiram Ghati attack of May 2013, the family of their prime target, Mahendra Karma, said they are still waiting for justice. Karma, 62, who was killed along with 27 others in the Jhiram Ghati attack, was one of the foremost tribal voices against Maoists in Chhattisgarh. He was also the face behind the Salwa Judum, a force of civilians who were made Special Police Officers (SPOs) and armed to fight the Maoists, and later ran into controversy.