New Delhi, September 16: IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar, popularly known as the “Iron Lady of Assam”, has become the first woman Inspector General to head the CRPF’s specialised jungle warfare unit, the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).
A 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Parashar joined the CRPF earlier this month and took charge of CoBRA last week.
Parashar gained recognition for her leadership in counter-insurgency operations against the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) while serving as Superintendent of Police in Sonitpur in 2013-14. She has also served with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and headed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police before moving to the CRPF.
CoBRA is trained for guerrilla and jungle warfare and operates mainly in forested areas affected by Left Wing Extremism, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra. Its personnel undertake long-range patrols, ambush and counter-ambush operations, IED detection and intelligence-based missions.
Parashar’s appointment places an officer with extensive counter-insurgency experience at the helm of one of the CRPF’s specialised operational formations. It also marks another milestone in the growing presence of women officers in senior operational roles within the force.
