Sanjukta Parashar Becomes First Woman to Lead CoBRA Unit

Sanjukta Parashar, a 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, has been appointed as the Inspector General of the Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA). Parashar is the first woman to lead the 10-battalion elite unit, which specializes in guerrilla operations, counter-insurgency, and jungle warfare.

Known as the "Iron Lady of Assam," Parashar previously headed the Criminal Investigation Department of the Assam Police and served with the National Investigation Agency. She succeeds 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana. Parashar takes command as CoBRA maintains deployments in Manipur and continues to secure forest areas in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand following the near-elimination of Left-wing extremism by March 2026.

Her appointment is part of a broader CRPF initiative to place women officers in combat-heavy leadership roles. Women now serve as IGs in the North East, Jammu, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, and also lead the Rapid Action Force.