Archive · 16 Sep 2026
Sanjukta Parashar Becomes First Woman to Lead CoBRA
Sanjukta Parashar is a senior police officer from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
She has become the first woman to lead CoBRA, a special CRPF force.
CoBRA trains to work in forests and fight armed groups in difficult areas.
Parashar became known as Assam’s “Iron Lady” after leading dangerous operations in Sonitpur.
Reports said she sometimes led field patrols herself while carrying an assault rifle.
She later worked on national-security and terrorism investigations with the National Investigation Agency.
CoBRA was created mainly to fight Maoist groups and has also been used in parts of the Northeast, including Manipur.
Her new role combines her experience in field operations and investigations.
Sanjukta Parashar, a 2006-batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre IPS officer, has taken charge as inspector general of the CRPF’s CoBRA unit.
She is the first woman to head CoBRA, which articles describe as a 10-battalion jungle-warfare force.
Parashar earned Assam’s “Iron Lady” reputation through counter-insurgency operations, especially while serving as superintendent of police in Sonitpur.
She later worked with the National Investigation Agency on national-security and counter-terrorism investigations before returning to senior Assam Police roles.
CoBRA was raised in 2008-09 to counter Left-Wing Extremism and is trained for jungle warfare, ambushes, patrols and intelligence-led missions.
- Who
- Sanjukta Parashar, a 2006-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
- What
- She has taken charge as inspector general of the Central Reserve Police Force’s Commando Battalion for Resolute Action and is its first woman chief.
- When
- She took charge before reports published on September 16, 2026; the exact appointment date was not specified.
- Where
- In the CRPF’s CoBRA unit, headquartered in the National Capital Region and deployed in insurgency-affected areas of India.
- Why
- Her appointment draws on her field experience in counter-insurgency operations and her national-security investigation work.
- New position
- Inspector general of the Central Reserve Police Force’s Commando Battalion for Resolute Action
- Historic milestone
- First woman to head CoBRA
- Cadre and batch
- 2006-batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre IPS officer
- Previous assignments
- Counter-insurgency and senior policing roles in Assam, followed by work with the National Investigation Agency
- CoBRA mission
- Jungle warfare, guerrilla tactics, long-range patrols, ambushes, counter-ambushes and intelligence-led operations
- Establishment
- Raised in 2008-09, primarily to counter Left-Wing Extremism
- Predecessor
- 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana
- Force description
- Articles describe CoBRA as a 10-battalion force; one report also describes it as 10,000-strong
Sources
Meet Sanjukta Parashar, Assam's 'Iron Lady' And First Woman To Head CRPF's CoBRA Commando Unit
Sanjukta Parashar Takes Charge Of CoBRA: Who Is Assam’s 'Iron Lady' And Her Rise Through IPS?
Sanjukta Parashar: Assam's "Iron Lady" Is CRPF CoBRA's 1st Woman Chief
