New Delhi. Naxalites had attacked and killed many senior Congress leaders in Jheeram Valley of Darbha, Chhattisgarh. The NIA court on Saturday convicted 10 accused in this case. On August 12, both the parties had completed their arguments in the Jheeram Valley Naxalite attack case. After which the court had reserved the decision. Earlier the court was to give its verdict on August 31.
On 25 May 2013, Naxalites had launched a major attack in Jheeram Valley of Chhattisgarh. At that time Congress was taking out Parivartan Yatra. The Congress leaders participating in the yatra were attacked by Naxalites in the Jheeram valley of Darbha. 32 people, including veteran Congress leader Vidyacharan Shukla, Nand Kumar Patel, who was the state Congress president at that time, and former Chhattisgarh opposition leader Mahendra Karma were killed in the Naxalite attack. The then UPA government at the Center had entrusted the investigation of the Jheeram Valley attack to the NIA.
NIA investigated Jheeram Valley attack and named 40 as prime accused. NIA had registered a case against more than 150 people including them. NIA had arrested 11 people in the Jheeram Valley attack case. One of these accused has already died. The prosecution got the statements of 101 witnesses in the NIA court. Sushil Kumar Shinde was the Union Home Minister at the time of Jheeram Valley attack. After the murder of Congress leaders in Jheeram Valley, the ministers of the then central government had clearly said that the aim of the Maoists is to destroy the democratic system. The government will take every possible step to protect democratic values.