On 20 October 2008, troops of 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, a large Maoist force opened indiscriminate fire from an ambush and detonated improvised explosive devices.
The Maoists had occupied vantage heights and tried to encircle the CRPF party. More than 200 attackers were involved. The troops retaliated forcefully, inflicted heavy losses and resisted the attempt to overwhelm them.
The battle continued for a prolonged period, but the resistance of the CRPF personnel forced the Maoists to abandon their plan and flee. Constable Pappu Kumar was among the 12 members of the battalion who made the supreme sacrifice during the encounter.
After the battle, a search led to the recovery of 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 commemorated alongside the other personnel who lost their lives in the operation.
