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 advanced towards their target, Maoists waiting in ambush opened indiscriminate fire and detonated improvised explosive devices.
The attackers occupied the high ground and attempted to surround the CRPF personnel. More than 200 Maoists were involved in the planned ambush. The troops retaliated forcefully, inflicting heavy losses on the attackers and resisting the attempt to overwhelm them.
The prolonged battle ultimately forced the Maoists to abandon their plan and flee. Constable Kamlesh Kumar was among the 12 personnel of the 170th Battalion who made the supreme sacrifice during the encounter.
A subsequent search 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. Kumar’s sacrifice is remembered as part of the 170th Battalion’s operation on 20 October 2008.
