SRINAGAR: A purported video of a senior J&K IAS officer, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, allegedly using abusive language against a junior woman colleague at a virtual meeting has triggered an outcry, an inquiry, an NCW notice and calls for the senior bureaucrat to be shunted out.In the video from Wednesday’s meeting, Ranjan, secretary of labour and employment department, is heard telling Beenish Wani, a J&K Administrative Service (JKAS) officer, “shut up” and “bloody shit”.CM Omar Abdullah decried Ranjan’s behaviour and wrote to chief secretary (CS) Atal Dulloo for action. Omar’s father, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, called for Ranjan’s removal. Former CM and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti urged Omar to take up the matter with the Centre. Peoples Conference, BJP, Congress and JKAS Association also demanded action.Amid the outrage, govt on Friday ordered an inquiry led by a woman IAS officer, Mandeep Kaur, against Ranjan with directions to submit a report within 15 days. It issued a circular asking all officials to “maintain the highest standards of integrity, devotion to duty, discipline and conduct becoming of a public servant”.The action came as National Commission for Women (NCW) took suo motu cognisance of the video and its chairperson, Vijaya Rahatkar, wrote to chief secretary Dulloo pressing for an impartial inquiry, to be followed by appropriate disciplinary and legal action if the allegations are established.NCW also called for safeguards against workplace harassment and professional retaliation, along with protection and support for Wani. It sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) within seven days. “Every woman officer is entitled to a safe, respectful and dignified workplace. Abuse of authority and workplace humiliation must be addressed with utmost seriousness,” NCW said.The purported video shows Wani objecting to being called “shit”, Ranjan asking other officers that she should be suspended, and the woman subordinate retorting “to hell with you”.Some JKAS officers met CS Dulloo on Friday. A member of the delegation quoted Dulloo as saying govt “would not tolerate such behaviour” and commending Wani for standing up to Ranjan, whose labour department put out a statement dismissing the video as an AI-generated fabrication.
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“I’ve seen the video. Prima facie, the conduct of the senior officer was not in keeping with the standards expected of a senior IAS. Unfortunately as a Union territory (UT), control over IAS officers rests with Lok Bhavan (LG Manoj Sinha’s secretariat). But as CM, I’ve instructed CS (Dulloo) to ensure the JKAS officer (Wani) faces no retributive action,” CM Omar said.NC chief Farooq was scathing. “The officer (Ranjan) should be removed from J&K. If he stays, he will find it very difficult to continue. If it would have happened in my time, he would not have remained for more than two minutes. I would have put him on a plane and sent him back,” Farooq said.
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