The job of a team commander in any force during encounters remains the same: kill the enemy and protect your personnel even if it takes your life. Deputy commandant (DC) from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Dilip Malik also went in with the same mindset when, showing exemplary standards of leadership, he and his team eliminated three Naxals, for which he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra on Republic Day.
While narrating about the encounter, the officer in an interview with News18 detailed how, like a film scene, he was surrounded by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), bullets were flying close to him, but he managed to succeed in his mission on that day in 2019.
“We got information about Naxal movement inside Chakarbandha forest in Gaya, Bihar. After reaching the spot, suddenly firing started and we found ourselves were trapped. Bullets were flying so close to my head that I could smell the gunpowder. The Maoists also had plans to target us with 10 IEDs of which five were triggered during the operation,” Malik told News18.
He also said that it was just like a film with him and his team surrounded by the guerrillas and they decided to keep firing until either the Naxals had been eliminated or the Naxals had eliminated them.
Close encounter
“When we saw very heavy firing, I decided to move forward for a close encounter with the Naxals. I chose to move alone as I wanted to protect my team also. As I got close to the Naxals, my team members kept giving me warnings as bullets could hit me. But suddenly, in a moment, I decided to stand and fire at them even if it took my life. With that decision, my team and I eliminated three Naxals and recovered multiple high-grade sophisticated weapons along with five IEDs, which they wanted to use to target us,” said Dilip Malik.
He also shared his experience of learning that he was getting the Shaurya Chakra. “Obviously it was very motivating. I got a call from headquarters and a senior official informed me about it. When I came out of the encounter, my family members were naturally concerned but when I told them that I had been awarded the Shaurya Chakra, they were very happy,” Malik said.
CRPF bravehearts received 36 gallantry awards, including 6 Shaurya Chakras (4 posthumous) and 30 Police Medals on the eve of Republic Day 2022.
The operation
According to the CRPF, an intelligence input was received regarding the movement of a group of CPI (Maoist) cadres, led by Abhijeet Yadav, alias Banwari, in Chakarbandha forest, and an operation was launched by a Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) team led by DC Dilip Malik.
The CoBRA reached close to the target area in civilian-pattern vehicles and, thereafter, advanced towards the Maoists, cross-country, while taking all precautions and maintaining surprise and secrecy. After searching the area around, the troops noticed an IED planted on a track going uphill. Immediately, Dilip Malik alerted the troops and after quick planning, they started to approach the height from two directions. Heavy firing started and before the troops could react five IEDs went off in a series. Malik and his team were badly trapped in the killing zone of the Maoists. Acting promptly, they immediately took cover and started retaliating. The Maoists had also fortified their defence by planting IEDs on the approach routes that were being blasted intermittently.
Assessing the critical situation and the need of the hour, Dilip Malik took a bold decision to launch a full-throttle frontal attack. Along with his team, he moved further and reached near the Maoist position. Here, Dilip Malik displayed unparalleled bravery, fired heavily from a standing position, and shot down one Maoist. However, as the Maoists were occupying safe positions, it didn’t take them long to recover.
After the firing ceased, the troops thoroughly searched the area and recovered three bodies of Maoists, along with 1 AKM rifle, 3 INSAS rifles, a US carbine, a .303 rifle, a carbine, 4 IEDs and a huge cache of ammunition. The bloodstains at the encounter site suggested that at least another 4-5 Maoists had sustained bullet injuries but managed to escape.
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