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Sanjukta Parashar (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: Senior IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar has taken charge of the Central Reserve Police Force’s specialised CoBRA formation, becoming the first woman officer to lead the elite commando force.
A 2006-batch IPS officer from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Parashar brings extensive field experience to the assignment. Her career has included policing in insurgency-affected areas of Assam as well as a stint with the National Investigation Agency.
Parashar has been appointed Inspector General of the CoBRA formation, which comprises 10 specialised battalions. She takes over from 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana.
The appointment puts her in charge of a force trained for operations in some of the country's most challenging terrain. CoBRA personnel are particularly trained in jungle warfare, reconnaissance, ambush and counter-ambush operations, tracking and dealing with improvised explosive device threats.
Parashar has spent a significant part of her policing career dealing with security challenges in Assam. Her operational experience in areas affected by insurgency has been one of the notable aspects of her career.
She has also worked with the NIA, where she gained experience in cases involving national security and investigations linked to extremist activities.
Her new responsibility combines both strands of her professional background, placing her at the head of a force designed for specialised counter-insurgency operations.
CoBRA stands for Commando Battalion for Resolute Action. The specialised force was created within the CRPF to conduct operations in difficult forest and rural terrain, particularly against Left Wing Extremism.
Its personnel receive intensive training for operating in dense forests and handling situations involving ambushes, counter-ambushes, intelligence-based missions and other high-risk operations.
Over the years, CoBRA units have also been used in security operations in parts of the Northeast.
The force continues to have an operational role in areas facing security challenges. CoBRA units have recently been deployed in Manipur as part of wider security operations amid continuing concerns over armed violence.
Parashar’s appointment therefore comes as the specialised force remains involved in operations requiring extensive field coordination and knowledge of difficult terrain.
Her appointment marks a significant development in the career progression of women officers within India’s central armed police forces.
Parashar now leads a specialised formation whose personnel operate in demanding environments and undertake some of the CRPF’s most challenging assignments.
