On 20 October 2008, the 170th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force launched an operation against Maoists near Kongupalli village in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. As the troops approached their target, Maoists waiting in ambush opened indiscriminate fire and detonated improvised explosive devices.
The attackers held the high ground and attempted to encircle the CRPF party. More than 200 Maoists were involved in the ambush. The CRPF personnel retaliated and inflicted heavy losses despite the intensity of the attack.
The prolonged encounter forced the Maoists to abandon their plan and withdraw. Constable Dhiren Deka was among the 12 personnel of the 170th Battalion who made the supreme sacrifice during the operation.
A search after the battle recovered a Maoist’s body, a 12-bore gun, approximately 50 metres of wire, a milk container containing 2.5 kilograms of explosive material, and other incriminating items. Deka is commemorated alongside the other CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the operation.
