The Jammu and Kashmir government ordered a 15-day inquiry into IAS officer Kumar Rajiv Ranjan for alleged misconduct. The probe started after he used abusive language towards a woman JKAS officer during an online meeting on October 14. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the officer’s conduct was not acceptable.
SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday ordered an in-depth inquiry into the alleged misconduct of senior IAS officer Kumar Rajiv Ranjan, following his verbal abuse of a woman JKAS officer during an online review meeting of Mission YUVA in Srinagar. The incident had triggered widespread outrage.
"Sanction is hereby accorded to the appointment of Ms. Mandeep Kaur, IAS (AGMUT: 2004), Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Housing and Urban Development Department, as Inquiry Officer to conduct an in-depth inquiry into the matter of alleged misconduct by Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, IAS (AGMUT: 2010), Administrative Secretary, Labour & Employment Department, with Ms. Beenish Wani, JKAS, Assistant Director, Employment, Ganderbal, being reported in the print / electronic media," reads a government order issued by Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, M Raju.
The Inquiry Officer has been asked to submit her report within a period of 15 days from the date of issuance of this order.
Amit Vermani, JKAS, Additional Secretary to the Government, General Administration Department, shall be the Presenting Officer in the matter.
The incident occurred on October 14 during an online review meeting chaired by Ranjan, Administrative Secretary, Labour and Employment, at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar. Beenish Wani, a 2015-batch JKAS officer and Assistant Director, Employment, Ganderbal, was briefing officials on the progress achieved by her office when a heated exchange took place.
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A purported video of the confrontation, which has circulated widely on social media, shows Ranjan questioning the role of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in the assignment. The exchange escalated as Beenish attempted to explain her position, with the senior officer repeatedly asking her to remain silent.
The video captures Ranjan using abusive language and threatening suspension, while Beenish objects to being spoken to in that manner and insists on being allowed to explain herself.
In the video clip, the IAS officer is screaming on the woman officer and tells her, "You are bloody shit. I can always talk to you like this"
The woman officer objects saying, "You cannot call me shit."
It infuriated the IAS officer, who asked the woman officer to get out.
The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern over misconduct of the IAS officer.
"I've seen the video of the online government meeting that is circulating on social media. Prima facie the conduct of the senior officer was not in keeping with the standards expected of a senior IAS officer & the subsequent threats issued to a junior JKAS officer only make matters worse. I've taken this up in the strongest possible terms with the Chief Secretary. Unfortunately as a UT control over IAS officers rests with Lok Bhavan but as CM I've instructed the CS to ensure the JKAS officer faces no retributive action," Omar said in a post on X.
He further said that had J&K been a state, the IAS officer seen abusing a young JKAS officer would have been attached to the General Administration Department pending an inquiry into his conduct. "As a UT we expect the authorities with control over the IAS officers to set the right example & ensure abusive, threatening behaviour is not brushed under the carpet".
The PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said such erratic and disdainful conduct cannot be tolerated.
"CM must immediately take up the matter with the Government of India and demand strict action against the officer who is already facing allegations of issuing illegal gun licences," she said.
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J&K Congress chief Tariq Karra said he has written to LG Manoj Sinha regarding the alleged use of street language and grossly unbecoming conduct by a senior IAS officer towards the woman JKAS officer.
"No bureaucratic rank confers the licence to humiliate a colleague, and no position of authority justifies such conduct. The civil services demand dignity, discipline and accountability, not arrogance, intimidation and a display of misplaced superiority," he said.
He said officers who mistake authority for entitlement and resort to such rowdy conduct have no place in the civil services, at least not in Jammu & Kashmir.
Meanwhile, All J&K Junior Scale KAS Association (AJJSKA) has strongly condemned the verbal abuse of the woman officer.
The Interim Body of the JKAS Association has decided to observe a one-day pen-down strike to protest against the humiliation of a woman JKAS officer during an official meeting on October 14.
The Association said the protest was aimed at defending the dignity, self-respect and institutional honour of the fraternity. It urged members to stand united in solidarity, stating that an attack on the dignity of one officer concerns the entire fraternity.
The association alleged that the incident was not isolated and claimed that the officer had a pattern of using unparliamentary and demeaning language in an official capacity.
It demanded an impartial inquiry into the matter, protection of the affected officer against any retaliatory action and a public apology from the IAS officer.
The IAS officer Rajeev Ranjan is facing a CBI investigation in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir arms licence scam. In November 2024, the Centre granted sanction to prosecute the 2010-batch IAS officer over alleged irregularities in issuing arms licences.