Sanjukta Parashar makes history as first woman to head CRPF’s CoBRA

Sanjukta Parashar has taken charge as Inspector General of the Central Reserve Police Force’s Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, or CoBRA, becoming the first woman officer to lead the specialised force.

A 2006-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Parashar has built her career largely around policing and security assignments in Assam. She has served in field postings in the state, including as a police superintendent, and later headed its Crime Investigation Department.

Her career has included work in areas affected by insurgency and ethnic violence. She subsequently served with the National Investigation Agency before joining the CRPF on deputation in August, according to reports.

Parashar succeeds 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana as the head of CoBRA. The CRPF headquarters issued the order appointing her to the post last week, and she has since assumed charge.

The new assignment puts Parashar at the helm of a specialised CRPF force created for operations in difficult terrain, with a particular focus on tackling Left Wing Extremism. CoBRA personnel undergo specialised training in jungle warfare and counter-insurgency operations.

The force has also been deployed in other areas requiring specialised internal-security operations. Two CoBRA battalions have been moved to Manipur amid the continuing security situation there.

Parashar's association with Assam's counter-insurgency landscape has been a defining feature of her career. Her field postings in the state and subsequent responsibilities in the Crime Investigation Department preceded her move to the NIA and, later, the CRPF.

She is referred to as the "Iron Lady of Assam", a description associated with her work during her policing career in the state. Her appointment to CoBRA places that field experience alongside her work at a central investigative agency.

Parashar has also maintained an academic interest in international affairs. She studied international relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University and later pursued higher research in the subject.

Her appointment is the first instance of a woman officer taking charge of the CRPF's specialised CoBRA force. The post carries responsibility for a formation whose operations are centred on difficult terrain and counter-insurgency, areas in which Parashar has previously worked during her career in Assam.