Guwahati: In a historic appointment, 2006-batch IPS officer from Assam Sanjukta Parashar has been appointed Inspector General (IG) of the CRPF’s elite jungle warfare unit, the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).She is the first woman officer to head the 10-battalion-strong force.Parashar, an IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, will succeed 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana as CoBRA Inspector General. The CRPF headquarters issued the order last week.A senior CRPF officer confirmed that this is the first time a woman officer has been appointed to lead CoBRA, a specialised force trained for jungle warfare and counter-insurgency operations.Parashar has previously served in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and held several assignments in Assam during her career.The CRPF established CoBRA in 2008-09 primarily to counter Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and conduct operations in challenging jungle terrain. The force has also been deployed to tackle insurgency in parts of the northeast.Two CoBRA units were recently deployed in Manipur amid efforts to contain armed violence in the state.Parashar’s appointment marks a significant milestone for women officers in India’s central armed police forces and places her at the helm of one of the CRPF’s most specialised operational units.
