Guwahati, Sept. 16 -- Senior IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar, 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 (CRPF) elite CoBRA unit, becoming the first woman officer to head the specialised jungle-warfare force.

Parashar, a 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, brings extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations, field policing and national security investigations to the post.

The CRPF headquarters issued the appointment order last week. Parashar succeeds 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana as IG, CoBRA.

"This is the first time that the 10-battalion-strong CoBRA of the CRPF will be headed by a woman off...