On 20 October 2002, personnel of the 111th Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force were deployed near the bus stand in the Dalgate Police Station area of Srinagar to counter militant activity. The area was known for recurring security challenges.
Taking advantage of the crowd, a terrorist fired at a CRPF picket and ran into the surrounding people for cover. The presence of civilians made it unsafe for the troops to open fire indiscriminately, as doing so could have endangered innocent bystanders.
A search operation was launched, but the assailant could not be apprehended. During the attack, Constable Mhaske Jayhind Dhondiram sustained severe injuries. He later succumbed to those injuries during treatment.
Jayhind made the supreme sacrifice while performing security duties in a crowded public area under difficult circumstances. His service and sacrifice on 20 October 2002 remain part of the CRPF’s history of duty in Jammu and Kashmir.
