The 170th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force was conducting an operation against Maoists near Kongupalli village in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, on 20 October 2008. As the troops moved closer to their target, a large Maoist force opened indiscriminate fire and detonated improvised explosive devices.
The attackers had planned the ambush carefully, occupying high ground and attempting to surround the CRPF party. Despite the intensity of the assault, the troops retaliated with full force and inflicted heavy losses on the attackers.
The prolonged encounter forced the Maoists to abandon their plan and flee. Constable Abhishek Kumar Singh was among the 12 personnel of the 170th Battalion who made the supreme sacrifice during the operation.
During a subsequent search, the troops recovered a Maoist’s body, a 12-bore gun, approximately 50 metres of wire, a container containing 2.5 kilograms of explosive material, and other incriminating items. Singh’s sacrifice is commemorated as part of the battalion’s action on 20 October 2008.
