2013 Jheeram Ghaati case: SC dismisses NIA plea questioning Chhattisgarh Police probe into larger conspiracy

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) questioning the probe initiated by Chhattisgarh Police into the larger political conspiracy in the 2013 Jheeram Ghaati incident.

A bench headed by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices J.B. Padriwala and Manoj Mishra said the state police can continue to investigate the angle of political conspiracy in the gruesome Maoist attack of 2013 -- which resulted in 27 deaths, including of Congress leaders.

In September 2022, the top court had stayed the investigation by the local police after a special leave petition was filed by NIA against the decision of Chhattisgarh High Court dismissing its plea seeking transfer of the FIR in question to the central anti-terror agency.

The trial court as well as the high court refused to accept NIA’s contention that the FIR lodged by Bastar police was in contravention of National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.

In May 2020, on a complaint filed by one Jitendra Uday Mudliyar, son of deceased political leader, an FIR was lodged by the state police on allegations that the incident was the result of a huge conspiracy to murder the senior Congress leaders, which the NIA had failed to investigate.

The state government told the apex court that “even the previous political regime in 2016 had written to the Central government to initiate CBI investigation since NIA had not done its job.”

Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appeared on NIA’s behalf before the Supreme Court, while senior advocate Atmaram N.S. Nadkarni assisted by advocate Sumeer Sodhi represented the Chhattisgarh government.