Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Jhiram Ghati Attack Verdict Set For September 5
In 2013, Maoist fighters attacked a Congress party convoy in Chhattisgarh.
The attack happened at a place called Jhiram Ghati in Bastar.
The convoy was returning from an election campaign event.
Twenty-seven people were killed, including politicians and security personnel.
The National Investigation Agency, or NIA, investigated the case.
The trial took almost 12 years.
The court heard the case in 294 hearings and examined 101 witnesses.
The NIA court is scheduled to announce its verdict on September 5.
Congress and the BJP disagree about whether a larger conspiracy was properly investigated.
An NIA court will deliver its verdict on September 5 in the 2013 Jhiram Ghati Maoist attack case.
About 150 CPI (Maoist) cadres ambushed a Congress convoy in Bastar on May 25, 2013.
The attack killed 27 people, including 23 Congress leaders and four security personnel.
The NIA filed chargesheets against nine arrested accused in 2014 and 30 additional accused in 2015.
The trial lasted nearly 12 years, involving at least 294 hearings and 101 witnesses.
- Who
- About 150 CPI (Maoist) cadres attacked a Congress convoy carrying party leaders and others; 27 people were killed.
- What
- A National Investigation Agency court is set to pronounce its verdict in the Jhiram Ghati Maoist attack case.
- When
- The attack occurred on May 25, 2013; the verdict is scheduled for September 5.
- Where
- Jhiram Ghati in Bastar, Chhattisgarh.
- Why
- The Congress leaders were returning from Sukma after attending the party’s Parivartan Yatra election campaign.
Congress Claims
BJP Claims
Alleged conspiracy investigation
Congress Claims
Congress leaders, including Bhupesh Baghel, alleged that the NIA failed to investigate the larger conspiracy and was pressured not to name Maoist leaders Ganapathi and Ramanna in the FIR.
BJP Claims
BJP leaders have accused the former Congress government of failing to bring the perpetrators to justice during its time in power.
Possible insider involvement
Congress Claims
Congress has focused on whether the NIA properly examined the broader conspiracy behind the attack.
BJP Claims
Former BJP president J P Nadda called the attack an “insider’s job” and alleged that people in Congress who wanted their own colleagues killed were in contact with Maoists and provided inside information.
- Attack date
- May 25, 2013
- Deaths
- 27 people, including 23 Congress leaders and four security personnel
- Attackers
- About 150 armed cadres of the outlawed CPI (Maoist)
- Investigation
- The case was later handed over to the National Investigation Agency
- Chargesheets
- The NIA filed an initial chargesheet against nine arrested accused in 2014 and a supplementary chargesheet against 30 additional accused in 2015
- Trial length
- Nearly 12 years
- Trial record
- At least 294 hearings and 101 witnesses examined