Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Sunday questioned Congress leaders over their past claims of possessing evidence related to the Jhiram Valley massacre, saying that if such evidence existed, it should have been submitted to the investigating agency. His remarks came days after a special NIA court convicted 10 accused in the long-pending case.
Speaking at a Teejah-Pora programme in the Beltara Assembly constituency area of Bilaspur, Sai said the case had gone through a judicial process lasting nearly 13 years and that more than 100 witnesses had been examined before the court delivered its verdict.
The Chief Minister was responding to criticism from former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel over the NIA investigation and the court ruling. Baghel has raised questions about the investigation and alleged that the larger conspiracy behind the 2013 attack had not been fully established.
Sai said that political leaders who had claimed to have evidence should have provided it to the investigating agency when the investigation was underway. He urged the Congress to respect the court's decision rather than questioning the verdict after the conclusion of the trial.
Court convicted 10 accused
The Jhiram Valley attack took place on May 25, 2013, when a convoy of Congress leaders was returning from Sukma towards Jagdalpur following a party programme. Maoists ambushed the convoy in the Jhiram Valley area of Bastar.
Several senior Congress leaders were killed in the attack, including then state Congress president Nand Kumar Patel, former Union minister and Salwa Judum founder Mahendra Karma, and Congress leader Uday Mudaliar. The attack became one of the deadliest political incidents in Chhattisgarh.
The case was registered by the National Investigation Agency in 2013. According to the information cited in the supplied report, the NIA later issued a public notice naming wanted Maoist accused in connection with the case.
A special NIA court in Jagdalpur has now convicted 10 accused. One of the 11 accused facing trial reportedly died during the proceedings. The court is scheduled to pronounce the sentence for the convicted accused on September 16.
Baghel questions wider conspiracy
The latest political exchange follows allegations by Bhupesh Baghel that the investigation did not establish the complete conspiracy behind the massacre. Baghel has questioned whether those responsible for the alleged planning of the attack were fully identified.
He has also raised questions over security lapses surrounding the convoy and whether officials responsible for those lapses faced punishment.
The allegations are part of a continuing political dispute over the circumstances of the attack and the scope of the investigation. The court's recent conviction relates to the accused who faced trial, while broader political claims about an alleged conspiracy remain contested.
Multiple investigations followed the attack
The Jhiram Valley case has been examined through multiple investigative and judicial processes over the years.
The NIA registered its case in 2013 to investigate the massacre. A judicial inquiry commission headed by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra was also constituted that year to examine issues including security arrangements, standard operating procedures, coordination between security forces and the role of the organisers.
After the Congress government came to power in Chhattisgarh in 2018, a Special Investigation Team was constituted to examine alleged political conspiracy angles. A second judicial inquiry commission was subsequently formed in 2021 under Justice Satish Agnihotri and Justice Ghulam Minhajuddin.
The separate inquiries and investigations have contributed to a long-running debate over what happened before and during the attack and whether the complete chain of responsibility was established.
Sai says verdict came after lengthy trial
Sai said the Jhiram Valley massacre remains a deeply painful episode for Chhattisgarh because several senior political leaders and public figures lost their lives in the attack.
He emphasised that the court had reached its decision after hearing more than 100 witnesses over a prolonged trial. According to the Chief Minister, the verdict should therefore be respected while the sentencing process is completed.
The sentencing hearing on September 16 is expected to bring another significant stage in the judicial proceedings, although questions surrounding the wider circumstances of the massacre are likely to remain part of the political debate in Chhattisgarh.
CM speaks on suspected Bangladeshi nationals
During his Bilaspur visit, Sai also spoke about the detention of suspected Bangladeshi nationals. He said 23 suspected foreign nationals were currently being kept at a detention centre in Raipur and would undergo verification.
According to the Chief Minister, those found to be Bangladeshi nationals after the verification process would be deported in accordance with the law.
Sai also referred to the Mahatari Vandan Yojana and said the Centre and the state government were continuing to work towards women's welfare, dignity and empowerment.
The Jhiram Valley case, meanwhile, remains one of the most consequential political and security cases in Chhattisgarh's recent history, with the latest court verdict likely to intensify debate over both accountability for the convicted accused and the unresolved questions surrounding the broader circumstances of the 2013 massacre.
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