Senior IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar has created history by becoming the first woman to head the Central Reserve Police Force’s elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), a specialised unit trained for jungle warfare and counter-insurgency operations.
A 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Parashar has earned the nickname “Iron Lady of Assam” for her work against insurgency in the Northeast. She has served in several positions in Assam and also worked with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), where she handled counter-terror investigations.
Parashar succeeds 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana as Inspector General of CoBRA. The CRPF headquarters issued her appointment order last week. A senior CRPF officer confirmed that this is the first time a woman has been appointed to lead the 10-battalion CoBRA formation.
CoBRA was established in 2008-09 primarily to conduct operations against Left-Wing Extremism and tackle insurgency in challenging terrain. Its personnel are specially trained in guerrilla and jungle warfare, including long-range patrols, ambushes and counter-ambushes, intelligence-based operations and dealing with improvised explosive device threats.
The unit has been deployed extensively in areas affected by Maoist activity, including parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra. Two CoBRA units were also recently deployed in Manipur amid continuing armed violence in the state.
A Career Shaped by Counter-Insurgency Operations
Parashar’s reputation was built during her field postings in Assam. As Superintendent of Police in Sonitpur, she led operations against the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) during 2013-14, according to reports. Her role in those operations and photographs of her participating in field operations contributed to her being known as the “Iron Lady of Assam.”
Reports state that operations under her leadership resulted in 16 militants being killed and 64 arrested. She also received death threats from Bodo militants following the operations.
Earlier in her career, while serving as an assistant commandant, Parashar was involved in handling clashes between Bodos and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
Beyond her field experience, her stint with the NIA gave her additional exposure to national-security and counter-terror investigations. Before moving to CoBRA, she was heading the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) wing of the Assam Police.
More Women in Senior CRPF Roles
Sanjukta Parashar’s appointment comes as women officers are increasingly being assigned senior leadership positions within the CRPF, including operationally sensitive formations.
According to a CRPF officer quoted by the Times of India, women officers are currently heading sectors including Jammu, CoBRA, the Rapid Action Force, the Northeast, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Other women IPS officers holding senior CRPF positions include A Vijaya Laxmi, who was recently appointed IG of the Jammu sector, and Nitu D Bhattacharya, who heads the Madhya Pradesh sector. Kavita Jalan leads the Northeast sector, while Archana Shivhare is the IG of the Rajasthan sector.
The Rapid Action Force is also headed by Seema Dhundia, who joined the CRPF in 1987 as part of its first batch of women officers.
Sanjukta Parashar’s appointment places her at the helm of one of the CRPF’s most specialised formations, combining her experience in field policing, counter-insurgency operations and national-security investigations with the operational demands of jungle warfare.
