Death Verdict Delivered in 2013 Jhiram Valley Congress Convoy Bombing

A special court of the National Investigation Agency in Jagdalpur pronounced death sentences on ten alleged Maoist operatives on September 16, 2026. The men were convicted for their involvement in the May 25, 2013 bombing of a Congress “Parivartan Yatra” convoy in the Jhiram Valley of Bastar district.

According to the prosecution, the attackers used an IED followed by a barrage of gunfire and grenade explosions, killing 24 people – a mix of civilians and police personnel – at the scene. Over 35 individuals were seriously wounded, and three of the injured later died despite receiving medical care.

The NIA's investigation uncovered that after the blast the militants seized weapons, ammunition, walkie‑talkie sets, mobile phones and other material from victims. A total of 39 persons were charged – nine in a charge sheet filed on September 25, 2014 and an additional thirty on September 28, 2015 – with 101 witnesses examined during the proceedings.

The judgment follows a prior conviction by the trial court on September 5, 2026, which had kept the sentencing decision pending. One of the accused died while under judicial custody before the final verdict was delivered.