Jammu, Oct 16: Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday ordered an in-depth inquiry into the matter of “alleged misconduct” by a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer with his junior woman JKAS officer after a political storm brewed over it, across the Union Territory.
Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, appointed as an Inquiry Officer has been asked to submit her report within 15 days.
Prior to it, the surcharged atmosphere saw netizens and the politicians, cutting across party affiliations, in unison, seeking stringent action against the IAS officer.
Initiated through digital media, the angst over the incident took over the entire political spectrum and social circles within 24 hours and the irate Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) fraternity too joined the cause with the colleague, thus forcing the government into “direct action” mode.
More prominently, the day-long developments over the matter also entailed suo-moto cognisance by the National Commission for Women (NCW) directing the Chief Secretary to probe into the matter after verification of purported video and take action (against IAS officer) if allegations proved and before that the Chief Minister taking up the matter in the strongest possible terms with the Chief Secretary and anticipating exemplary action.
As a follow up to the developments, the General Administration Department (GAD) Commissioner Secretary M Raju, through order number 1654-JK(GAD) of 2026 dated October 16, 2026, accorded sanction to the “appointment of 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 Beenish Wani, JKAS, Assistant Director, Employment, Ganderbal, being reported in the print and electronic media.”
“The Inquiry Officer shall submit her report within a period of 15 days from the date of issuance of this order,” M Raju ordered.
JKAS officer Amit Vermani, Additional Secretary to the Government, General Administration Department, as per order, will be the Presenting Officer in the matter.
WHAT LED TO POLITICAL TEMPEST ACROSS J&K
The purported video, which led to outrage across political and social circles across J&K and even outside, showed a nasty brawl between the IAS officer, presently Administrative Secretary, Labour & Employment Department and woman JKAS officer, presently Assistant Director, Employment, Ganderbal, during review meeting, chaired by the former on implementation of Mission Yuva, on October 14, 2026.
As per the purported footage viral on social media and the details emerging thereafter, the arguments between the duo began when the JKAS officer tried to explain the role of National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in implementing Mission Yuva.
The IAS officer interrupted her, questioning her stance. He asked her to stop yet the woman officer took exception to interruption and shouting. As she insisted on explaining her stance, an irate IAS officer shouted and even used an abusive expression, which was strongly objected to by the JKAS officer. She also wrapped up at an inappropriate note as the IAS officer did not relent and turned to some other officer, asking for her suspension.
JKAS officer, later, also lodged a complaint of harassment with the senior government officials against IAS officer, seeking action against him.
WHO SAID WHAT?
As the video of the brawl went viral, the clamour erupted demanding stringent action against the IAS officer with politicians leading the front.
National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah, while alleging that the IAS officer’s behaviour lacked decency, sought his expulsion from J&K for “using abusive language against a woman bureaucrat.” He even asserted that had a similar incident happened during his time when the J&K was a state, he would have sent the (IAS) officer away on the plane.
Disapproving the language used, Dr Farooq stated that the officer needed to be reprimanded.
“Shouting “get out” is simply unbecoming of the conduct of a senior officer. His conduct has put all IAS officers in the spot. If he still remains here, consequences will be difficult for him,” former Chief Minister warned.
Another former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti posted, “Such erratic and disdainful conduct cannot be tolerated. CM @OmarAbdullah 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.”
Prior to her, her daughter Iltija Mufti, along with the viral video, had posted, quoting the IAS officer’s abusive remark to JKAS officer, “You are b…. s…, I can always talk to you like this’ – Rajeev Ranjan IAS officer abusing & threatening a lady KAS officer.”
“How dare you use such derogatory demeaning language? Take your god complex & dirty slurs elsewhere. We won’t tolerate this in Kashmir. Since 2019 KAS & competent Kashmiri IAS officers are deliberately being elbowed out. There is a concerted effort to undermine local officers both in administration & police. Thereby making them subservient to outside officers lording over them,” Iltija wrote. “@CM_JnK @manojsinha_ Decency demands this man be suspended immediately. You are quick to fire Kashmiri employees. Hope you use the same yardstick here,” she continued.
Peoples Conference supremo Sajad Lone noted that the video recording of a meeting where an IAS officer was screaming at a female KAS officer was scary.
“This is much more than workplace bullying. But my compliments to the brave female KAS officer, Beenish. She stood her ground and upheld her dignity. We may pretend to be surprised but reality as it exists is that it is normal for such behaviour to be exhibited. Workplace bullying by officers exists,” Lone posted on ‘X’.
Describing it as a vicious circle, he said, “IAS officers bully their junior officers; their junior officers bully their junior officers; and the viciousness carries on in its most lethal form on to the common masses. But I am really surprised that an army of male officers in the room and those who joined remotely in the video meeting did not stand up for their colleague. That is the real surprise.”
“I would request stern action not only for today’s incident but an institutional mechanism to discourage and legally make it a crime to indulge in any sort of bullying or intimidation,” Lone demanded, asserting that this institutional mechanism should extend to masses.
“It should be a crime to shout at, intimidate or bully common masses. I know of an officer who retired recently. And the top IAS babu ensured that his retirement pension and other post retirement benefits are put on hold, because of an utterly flimsy reason. Nobody will speak up,” Lone remarked.
National Conference chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq echoed the Chief Minister as he posted on ‘X’, “Had J&K been a full state, Kumar Rajiv Ranjan would have been attached to the GAD pending a formal inquiry into his conduct. This is precisely why the fight for the restoration of full statehood is so important, and why those occupying influential positions continue to undermine it.”
“The Hon’ble @CM_JnK @OmarAbdullah has taken serious note of the matter and written to the Chief Secretary to ensure that the JKAS officer faces no retribution,” he also shared. Sadiq asserted that “accountability must prevail, and no one should be allowed to misuse their position to intimidate or victimise others.”
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra stated that he had written to “Hon’ble LG Shri @manojsinha_ Ji regarding the alleged use of street language and grossly unbecoming conduct by a senior IAS officer towards Ms. Beenish Wani, a 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,” Karra maintained, adding that the “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.”
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