On May 25, 2013, Maoists ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders on National Highway 30 in Jhiram Ghati, Bastar district, killing 29, including state chief Nand Kumar Patel and former Union Minister Vidya Charan Shukla.
The NIA’s special court in Jagdalpur, presided over by Judge Abhay Singh Rajput, examined 101 witness statements and a trove of documents before convicting ten attackers, two of whom were women, on seven of 24 charges.
The court handed down death sentences and a ₹800 fine per convict on Wednesday, stating that executions would proceed only after a High Court order. The prisoners remain in Central Jail, Telangana, and may appeal within 30 days. Former CM Bhupesh Baghel accused the investigation of conspiratorial cover‑ups, while ex‑BJP chief Raman Singh dismissed the case as political posturing.
The High Court is slated to review the verdict by June 15, after which the death sentences could be carried out, marking a long‑awaited closure for families still mourning the Bastar massacre.