Kidnapped Chhattisgarh Cong chief, son found dead, toll 27

The bullet-riddled bodies of Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh, who were kidnapped by Maoists, were today found along with those of eight others in Jiram valley in Bastar.

With the recovery of the bodies, the toll in the lethal Maoist attack on a convoy of Congress leaders yesterday has climbed to 27, police sources said.

32 people have been injured in the attack, DGP Ram Niwas said today.

The bodies of Patel, his son Dinesh and eight others, mainly security personnel, have been recovered from Jiram valley in Bastar division, the sources said.

The Maoists had kidnapped Patel and his son Dinesh after attacking the convoy of Congress leaders.

Heavy rains in the area is hampering the operations of the security forces.

Senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma was killed and former union minister V C Shukla injured when heavily-armed Maoists ambushed a convoy of party leaders inside a dense forest in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district yesterday.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who arrived here in the wee hours today, said the party cannot be cowed down by such attacks and will continue to move forward.

"It is not an attack on Congress. It is an attack on democracy. But, we'll not fear from such an attack and continue to move forward with enthusiasm," Gandhi said.

Gandhi also met V C Shukla and other injured leaders at a hospital.

"I met V C Shukla and other injured leaders at a hospital. As soon as his condition becomes stable, he'll be sent to Delhi," he said.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi will also be visiting the state," Gandhi said.