Thirteen years after a Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh’s Jhiram Ghati killed 27 people, almost wiping off the state Congress leadership, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) court is set to announce its verdict in the case today (August 31).The attack took place on May 25, 2013, around 4.15 pm on a national highway in Jhiram Ghati, which is near the inter-district border of Bastar and Sukma.The then state Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh were among those killed, along with former Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma, former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla, senior Congress leaders Uday Mudliyar and Yogendra Sharma, and others, including security personnel.The main target of the Maoists was Mahendra Karma, who is said to have initiated the Salwa Judum movement in 2005, in which civilians were armed to fight against Maoists. The movement led to widespread violence in the Bastar region, till the Supreme Court struck it down in 2011.The banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) surrounded and opened fire on the convoy of Congress leaders, who were taking out a “Parivartan (change) rally” ahead of Assembly elections that were to take place later that year.According to police records, one 9-mm pistol with two magazines, two AK 47 rifles along with 14 magazines and 455 rounds, 10 Hand Grenades and Communication Sets were looted by the Maoists.What happened in the investigation?Two days after the incident, the NIA took over the investigation.Story continues below this adOn September 25, 2014, the NIA submitted a chargesheet against nine arrested persons in the NIA Special Court in Jagdalpur city in Bastar. On September 28, 2015, the agency filed a supplementary chargesheet against 30 accused.In the trial that took over a decade, at least 294 hearings took place. After final arguments concluded this month, the NIA court will give its judgement on August 31.What are the major political developments around the case?Congress leader Kawasi Lakhma, an MLA from Sukma, survived the attack. Lakhma was later questioned by NIA, but no proof of conspiracy was found against him.At a BJP political event in 2025, former party chief JP Nadda alleged that Congress leaders provided “inside information” to Maoists, though he did not name anyone. Nadda had said, “… I saw the Jhiram Ghati incident. I want to say with full responsibility… Jhiram Ghati’s incident details and inside information was not given by anyone else but the people among them (Congress) who wanted to get their own people killed and were in touch with Naxals. If the protector himself becomes the oppressor, what will happen to the common people of Chhattisgarh?”Story continues below this adOn the other hand, Congress has targeted the BJP, alleging that the names of two key conspirators, Ramanna and Ganapthi, were removed by NIA after the NDA came to power in 2014.Muppala Lakshman Rao (72), better known as Ganapathi, who retired in 2018, had led the CPI (Maoist) since 2004 when the outfit was formed.On the 10th anniversary of the attack in 2023, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said, “Why is the Modi government saving this duo? What was the BJP’s motive behind it? I want answers from the BJP as to why the names of Ramanna and Ganapathi were taken off the FIR. Soon after Modi became prime minister, the probe was closed with the conclusion that the Dandakaranya committee was behind the attack. Was the NIA under pressure to take out the two names? The day our government comes to power at the Centre, we will clear everything,”There have been multiple exchanges between Bhupesh Baghel and three-time Chief Minister (2003-2018) and present Assembly speaker Raman Singh over the issue. While Baghel said the larger conspiracy was never probed, Raman Singh, who was in power when the attack happened, said Baghel never provided them with any evidence.Story continues below this adWhat action did the Congress party take when they came to power in 2018?Soon after taking oath as Chief Minister, Bhupesh Baghel announced a 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT).On May 25, 2020, the SIT registered a fresh FIR under section 302 (murder) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC against unknown persons at Darbha police station based on the complaint of Jitendra Mudaliyar, son of slain leader Uday Mudliyar.Mudaliyar, the complainant, claimed that “the conspirators of the attack are still roaming freely and the conspiracy was not covered” in the NIA’s probe.Story continues below this adThe latest status of the SIT probe remains unclear as the police and the ruling BJP are silent on it. The NIA had even approached the Supreme Court to transfer the new case to them, but the apex court refused to interfere.