Senior IPS officer Sanjukta Parasor, known as the “Iron Lady of Assam” for her counter-insurgency work in the Northeast, has taken charge as Inspector General of the Central Reserve Police Force’s elite CoBRA unit, becoming the first woman officer to head the specialised force.
Parasor is a 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre and has extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations, field policing and national security investigations. The CRPF headquarters issued her appointment order last week, with Parasor succeeding 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana as IG, CoBRA.
A senior officer said this is the first time that the 10-battalion CoBRA force will be headed by a woman officer. The CRPF has also recently deployed two CoBRA units in Manipur amid armed violence in the state.
CoBRA, or Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, is a specialised CRPF formation trained for jungle and guerrilla warfare. Its personnel are trained for long-range patrols, intelligence-based operations, ambushes, counter-ambushes and operations in difficult terrain where improvised explosive devices pose a threat. The force has been deployed extensively in anti-Maoist operations across states including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra.
Parasor’s career includes field postings in Assam as well as an assignment with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), where she handled investigations related to terrorism, extremism and national security. Her counter-insurgency work in Assam, particularly during postings in conflict-affected areas, brought her wider public attention and the “Iron Lady of Assam” tag.
Her early career included a 2008 posting as an Assistant Commandant in Makum, Assam. She was subsequently posted to Udalguri, where she worked during a period marked by violent clashes involving Bodo groups and migrants from Bangladesh.
Parasor’s professional experience has also included work in national security investigations through the NIA. Before her appointment as IG, CoBRA, she had served in different assignments in her cadre state and in central agencies.
Her appointment places her at the helm of a specialised force tasked with operations in dense forests and difficult terrain. The CRPF has described CoBRA as a force focused on jungle warfare and guerrilla operations, including intelligence-based missions against armed extremist groups.
