New Delhi: Senior IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar has been appointed Inspector General of the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) CoBRA sector headquarters in New Delhi, becoming the first woman officer to head the specialised jungle warfare force.

A 2006-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Parashar will take over from 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana as IG of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), which comprises 10 battalions and is tasked primarily with operations in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism and insurgency.

The appointment marks a significant assignment for Parashar, who has extensive operational experience in Assam and has previously served with the National Investigation Agency (NIA). During her tenure in the Assam Police, she was involved in counterinsurgency operations, particularly in the upper Assam region.

CRPF sources have also noted that women officers are already heading several sectors of the force, including in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and the Northeast. Parashar’s appointment places a woman officer at the helm of the specialised CoBRA sector as well.

CoBRA was raised by the CRPF during 2008-09 as a specialised force for jungle warfare and counterinsurgency operations. Its personnel have been deployed extensively in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism as well as in parts of the Northeast.

Parashar has also previously worked with current CRPF Director General GP Singh during his tenure as Assam’s Director General of Police.

Born in October 1979, Parashar completed her schooling in Assam before pursuing higher education in Delhi. She graduated in political science from Indraprastha College, University of Delhi, and subsequently obtained a master’s degree in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

She joined the Indian Police Service after clearing the Union Public Service Commission examination and went on to serve in various policing and investigative assignments, including with the NIA.

Her new assignment at CoBRA brings together her experience in counterinsurgency operations, investigation and policing, as she takes charge of one of the CRPF’s specialised operational formations.

BI Bureau