Survivor of the Jhiram Ghati Attack Says NIA Verdict Misses the Mark

When the National Investigation Agency’s special court in Jagdalpur handed down its verdict on the 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre, the room was quiet – but not because anyone was satisfied. Shiv Singh Thakur, the only survivor of that night, stood up and told the media that, for him and the families of the 32 victims, justice is still a distant dream.

“We have not gotten any justice,” Thakur said, his voice wavering a little, “because the NIA never even recorded our statements.” He went on to point out that not a single investigating officer had sat down with the survivors to note what really happened, a gap he says undermines the entire process.

The court, meanwhile, convicted ten people – men it described as “small‑time Naxalites” – under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act. The sentencing itself has been postponed to September 16, leaving many questions hanging.

Thakur didn’t hide his frustration. “Why were the big‑fish Naxal leaders – the ones the state kept talking about – let off?” he asked. Names like Ganesh Uike and Deva were bandied about in political circles, yet none of them figured among the ten now facing punishment. “If they were involved, they should be dragged through the same legal rigour as everyone else,” he insisted.

He also accused the authorities of lax security on the day of the attack. “There was no proper police arrangement during the Sukma programme. No accused were identified on the ground, and the convoy was left exposed,” Thakur recounted. “All these details never made it into any official statement.”

Congress leaders, many of whom lost close relatives in the ambush, echoed his sentiments. Umesh Patel, son of the slain Nand Kumar Patel, welcomed the conviction but warned that the real issue – a possible conspiracy – was far from settled. “We will take this to the Supreme Court,” he said, referring to a pending order on the conspiracy angle.

Tulika Karma, daughter of Mahendra Karma, another senior leader killed in the attack, added that the ten convicted men were “already known terrorists,” yet the massacre that claimed so many lives still feels shrouded in political intrigue. “Only when the mastermind, the ones who really pulled the strings, are punished will we feel that true justice has been served,” she asserted.

Deepak Baij, the Chhattisgarh Congress chief, went a step further, calling the incident a “supari killing” rather than a mere Naxal ambush. He suggested that the change in the NIA’s investigative focus after the BJP came to power at the centre was no coincidence. “The NIA admitted that about 200 Naxals were involved, but only ten were sentenced,” Baij lamented.

To understand why this verdict matters, a quick reminder of the tragedy is worth revisiting. On May 25, 2013, a convoy of Congress leaders returning from a “Parivartan Yatra” was ambushed in the dense forests of Jhiram Valley, Bastar. The attack claimed 29 lives, including senior politicians and police officers, and sent shockwaves through the state. The local police first took charge of the case, but within days the matter was handed over to the NIA after Congress alleged gross security lapses.

The NIA’s charge sheet, filed in September 2014, listed more than a hundred witnesses and a slew of documents. Yet, as Thakur and the families point out, the very voices of those who lived through it appear to have been ignored.

Whether the Supreme Court will entertain the conspiracy plea, or whether the ten convicted will finally face sentencing, remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that for the survivors and the grieving families, the court’s decision feels like an unfinished chapter rather than a closure.

In the words of Shiv Singh Thakur, “We have faith in the judicial process, but we are deeply unhappy with how the investigative agency handled this.” The hope is that the next chapter will finally give the 32 martyrs the tribute they deserve.