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Following the Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court's verdict convicting 10 surviving accused in the 2013 Jhiram Ghati attack, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma and BJP MP Santosh Pandey welcomed the judgment, stating that the truth has finally been vindicated after a long wait.
The special court in Jagdalpur found all 10 accused guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Arms Act. The court has reserved the announcement of the quantum of punishment until September 16. Reacting to the verdict, Deputy CM Vijay Sharma emphasised that the courts decision validates the NIAs professional investigation. This NIA court has made a decision today. The punishment they will receive is still being kept confidential; it will be decided by the court around the 16th. All those people involved in the Jheeram incident who were arrested in 2014 and 2016the NIA's investigation on them has been proved correct, and the court has found them guilty," Sharma said. Recalling the early days of the investigation, the Deputy CM noted the political transparency of the then-BJP state government. "When the case was given to the NIA for investigation, the UPA government was in power at the Center. It was their government. In the state of Chhattisgarh, there was a BJP government. The BJP government immediately transferred the case to the NIA within two days so that no one would have any doubts," he added. BJP MP Santosh Pandey termed the attack an act by "ruthless Naxalites" and welcomed the end of the long judicial wait. "The decision of the NIA court is welcome. It comes after a very long wait, as this massacre was carried out by ruthless Naxalites. Everyone was waiting for the truth to come out. Today, we all welcome it," Pandey stated. Taking a sharp dig at former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who recently questioned the investigation and alleged that certain names were removed from the case, Pandey questioned why Baghel failed to produce any evidence during his five-year tenure. "Now, what can one say about Bhupesh Baghel... Bhupesh Baghel used to talk about having evidence in his pocket. He used to keep papers, take them out, put them back... he repeatedly said that he had evidence. So, Bhupesh ji, you couldn't present evidence in five years. Was it really evidence or something else? Was it some betting slip? That's what I keep saying. What was it that you couldn't provide in five years?" Pandey said. The case pertains to the deadly ambush on a Congress convoy on May 25, 2013, in Jhiram Valley, Bastar, which resulted in the deaths of around 29-32 people, including several senior Congress leaders and security personnel. Armed Maoists had ambushed the convoy of Congress leaders returning from a 'Parivartan Yatra' ahead of the 2013 Assembly Elections. (ANI)
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