"We have not received justice": Jhiram Ghati Naxal attack survivor questions NIA verdict

The NIA Special Court in Jagdalpur on Saturday convicted 10 accused in the Jhiram Ghati Naxal attack, which claimed the lives of 29 people, including senior Congress leaders. The court found the accused guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act, while the announcement of the quantum of punishment has been reserved for September 16, defence lawyer Arvind Choudhary said.

Attack survivor and witness Shiv Singh Thakur said, "We, the victims, have not received justice. And the NIA has not recorded our statement so far. To date, no investigating agency has recorded our statement, nor has the NIA taken our statement."

He said, "Seeing that, we feel we haven't received justice, and these are small-time Naxalites. The names of senior Naxalites were emergingGanesh Uike, Deva, and other big Naxalite leaders. Even the Chhattisgarh government used to claim that those surrendering or being killed were involved in Jhiram. Why have those people been spared? Why are they being provided all these facilities and rehabilitation arrangements?First, they should be brought under the complete police process, just like any criminal is brought behind bars through proper procedures. That's what we are demanding."

He also alleged that the investigation did not include statements of victims. "The NIA didn't take our statement, nor was there proper police arrangement during the Sukma programme. Neither were the accused framed beforehand, though security was needed. On the day the incident happened and during the journey afterward, there were no accused identified, nor was there proper police security. None of these details were brought into our statement," he said.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the verdict, he added, "So we, the victims, are not satisfied with this decision. While we have faith in the judicial process, we are deeply unhappy with the investigative agency's outcome and direction."

Congress leader Umesh Patel, son of late Congress leader Nand Kumar Patel, who was killed in the attack, said the party welcomed the conviction but would continue to pursue the alleged conspiracy angle.

"The NIA had presented its charge sheet, and today its final verdict has come. It has made everyone an accused and found them guilty. We welcome that. But regarding the conspiracy aspect, which we were actively pursuing, we will move to the Supreme Court," he said.

He added, "It is not clear whether there is a conspiracy aspect in this or not. So, for that, we had requested it, and the Supreme Court had issued an order regarding it as well. We will approach the Supreme Court regarding that."

Congress leader Tulika Karma, daughter of late Mahendra Karma who was killed in the attack, also questioned the verdict.

"We neither agree with nor are satisfied with this decision of the NIA. These ten accused, whom they are claiming to have sentenced, were already causing terror in the forests and were Naxalites. But the incident that happened on May 25, 2013, in which top leaders of the Congress Party from our state were martyred, somewhere there is a political conspiracy in this brutal murder," she said.

She further alleged, "We will consider it justice only when the actual conspirators, leaders, or whoever was involved are punished. Only then will we feel that true tribute has been paid to the 32 people, including our top leaders, who were martyred."

Chhattisgarh Congress chief Deepak Baij said the verdict had disappointed the people of the state, Congress workers and families of victims.

Baij said, "This was not an attack; it was a supari killing. Top Congress leaders, workers and police personnel were killed in the Jhiram attack and the day was considered as a black day. Everyone wanted to know about the truth. After the BJP formed the government at the Centre, the angle of the NIA probe was changed because the BJP was ruling in the state at the time of the incident. Despite NIA admitting that 200 Naxals were involved in the crime and several dozens were named, only 10 persons were sentenced in the case."

The Naxalite attack took place in Jhiram Valley, Bastar, when armed Maoists ambushed a convoy of Congress leaders returning from a 'Parivartan Yatra' ahead of the 2013 Assembly Elections.

The Bastar police initially registered the case, which was subsequently handed over to the NIA days after the attack, following allegations by the Congress party of security lapses on the part of the state government and police.

The NIA filed its chargesheet in the special court at Jagdalpur in September 2014 and, over the course of its investigation, presented 101 witnesses along with supporting documents. (ANI)