Who is Sonia Sahrawat? RAF officer at center of CJP protest controversy

Sonia Sehrawat, assistant commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force’s Rapid Action Force (RAF), has emerged as one of the most talked-about faces of the ongoing Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protests after she was injured during clashes at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, and later found herself at the center of a social media controversy.

The officer was deployed during the CJP’s ‘Sansad Chalo’ rally on July 20, an event that is now being considered by the courts for alleged unjustified police brutality. Just a day later, an alleged Instagram story shared from her account went viral, drawing criticism from the CJP and opposition leaders.

Aside from her police career, Sahrawat has built a significant presence on social media. Her Instagram account has over 6.2k followers, where she posts dance videos, fitness content, trending reels, personal updates and occasional glimpses into life in uniform.

In an interview on the Win Life Like a Warrior podcast, Sehrawat said she grew up in Haryana, where traditional social norms often restricted opportunities for girls. She said that these experiences motivated her to pursue a career in military uniform despite facing frustration.

She says that exposure to discipline, leadership and military training strengthened her resolve, following which she passed the Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commander) examination of the Union Public Service Commission and joined the Central Reserve Police Force.

Talking to the aspiring candidates in the same interview, Sehrawat advised them to stay disciplined, fit and consistent while preparing for the UPSC CAPF exam.

She also spoke about serving in operational areas, including Jammu and Kashmir, where she said the experience enhanced her leadership skills and ability to perform under pressure.

Sahrawat was among the RAF officers deployed at the site and was injured during the encounter. Delhi Police later said that more than 118 police personnel were injured in the violence and several FIRs were registered. The investigation is ongoing.

Speaking to HT, Sonia Sehrawat denied allegations that RAF personnel under her command assaulted women protesters and said the force’s priority was to protect them.

“My soldiers did not do this, either intentionally or unintentionally,” Sahrawat said. “They are equipped and trained to rescue women.”

According to Sahrawat, repeated calls were made to the demonstrators to maintain their distance before the situation escalates.

She claimed that when the crowd grew, several women fell into what she described as a stampede-like situation, and insisted that they were not assaulted by RAF personnel.

Read also: Why RAF officer Sonia Sehrawat, and her Instagram story, were at the heart of the CJP protests

Sahrawat also claimed that she was injured while trying to rescue the female protesters.

“When I fell to the ground, stones and shoes were thrown at me,” she said. “They even took off my helmet.”

She also claimed that an RAF soldier had been dragged into the crowd and said security personnel had to act in self-defence after being attacked.

Addressing her directly from the car, Debke asked her if she supported “brutality against women.”

Despite his criticism of police work, Debke also praised Sehrawat for listening to him calmly, saying no other police officer listened to him in the same way during the protests.

Sahrawat refused to respond to Debaki’s personal statements about being a woman and a mother, saying that those comments were personal.

The story showed a photo of a dead cockroach with the caption, “They can’t fix themselves and want to fix the country.” Reports said the post was later deleted. Hindustan Times was unable to independently verify the story.

The Janata Cockroaches Party accused Sehrawat of mocking the protesters and responded to X: “We are cockroaches. And cockroaches never die.”

Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra also shared the screenshot on X and criticized the alleged post.