Jhiram Valley massacre: Maoists planned ambush months in advance, rehearsed attack, court order reveals

The 2013 Maoist attack on a convoy of Congress leaders that killed 27 people in Chhattisgarh’s Jhiram Valley was a meticulously planned conspiracy executed after months of route surveys, cadre mobilisation, and mock rehearsals, according to the detailed judgment of a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jagdalpur.

The court order, which sentenced the 10 surviving convicts to death, reconstructs the deadly assault using the NIA’s investigation and testimonies from survivors, injured personnel, and eyewitnesses.

According to the September 16 verdict, which was uploaded to its website on Friday, the conspiracy was hatched about three months before the May 25, 2013 attack, at a meeting of the South Regional Unified Command of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) held between February 16 and 25.

A special team comprising members of different Maoist military units and local cadres was formed for the operation that killed top state Congress politicians.

The Jhiram Valley area was under the Darbha Divisional Committee of the Maoists’ South Regional Unified Command, which operated under the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC).

Barse Sukka alias Deva, then a member of the Darbha Divisional Committee, was assigned responsibility for the operation, while cadres from different areas were directed to reach Darbha.

The attack was planned as part of the Maoists’ Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC), NIA said.

The investigation found that members of the Kanger Valley Local Committee, including Sonadhar, and convicted accused Sumitra, Mahadev Nag and Mukka Mandavi, along with Jan Militia members, Sangham members and others, held several meetings to prepare for the operation.

According to the order, about 25 sacks of rice, each weighing around 50 kg, were collected from Koleng village and stored at Mahadev Nag’s house in Kandanar.

At a meeting at Chandameta village on May 22, around 50 Jan Militia members were instructed to transport rice and cooking material to a designated location. The supplies were later taken to a temporary Maoist camp in the Jhiram Nala area.

On May 23, villagers who helped transport the material had to remain with the Maoists to prepare food, collect firewood and clean utensils, among other tasks.

The Maoists also conducted reconnaissance of the Sukma-Jagdalpur national highway and selected the Jhiram Valley location. A rehearsal was held in a forest near Ekkam-Chakpal six to seven days before the attack under the direction of Maoist leaders including Surender, Jaylal, Deva, Vinod, Hemla Masa and Sonadhar.

On the nights of May 22 and 23, an armed group of around 100 Maoists, accompanied by Jan Militia members from the Kanger Valley area, established temporary command centres on both sides of the road. The cadres were armed with AK-series rifles, self-loading rifles, light machine guns, .303 rifles, grenades and country-made firearms.

The Congress Parivartan Yatra was to hold a programme in Sukma on May 25, 2013. The meeting ended around 2.30pm and party leader Ajit Jogi left by helicopter. The other leaders had lunch at the circuit house before leaving Sukma around 3pm for Keshloor.