Special NIA court in Chhattisgarh’s Jabalpur announced death sentences to all the ten convicts in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack.
“The court has awarded the death penalty to all 10 convicts,” Panigrahi, Counsel for NIA, said.
Several senior Congress leaders died in the attack on May 25th, 2013. 27 dead included Congress leaders Vidya Charan Shukla, Nandkumar Patel and Mahendra Kumar.
The special judge of the National Investigation Court, Ajay Singh Rajput, convicted four to women earlier on September 5th and reserved the order on the quantum of the punishment for Wednesday.
The 10 convicts were identified as Pramila Modiyam (40), Chaitu Lekam, Sumitra Punem Modiyam, Mukka Mandavi, Kosa Kavasi, Aayata Markam, Madkami Deva, Joga Madkami, Banjami Sanna and Mahadev Nag.
The convicts have undergone repeated trials with a total of 101 prosecution witnesses and several documents of evidence.
Eleven persons were arrested and a trial was initiated against them. One of them died during the trial and the remaining 10 were convicted after the trial,” he said to reporters questioning about the number of accused.
Defence lawyer Arvind Choudhary however expressed dissatisfaction over the verdict and declared to challenge it in the high court.
The probe revealed, the 10 convicts were found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.