Row over woman JKAS officer’s humiliation: Govt orders probe, NCW steps in; Omar, Farooq condemn conduct

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has ordered an in-depth inquiry into the alleged misconduct by senior IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan towards junior woman JKAS officer Beenish Wani, as the viral video of the incident triggered widespread outrage and drew the attention of the National Commission for Women (NCW).

The government has appointed Mandeep Kaur, Commissioner/Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, as the inquiry officer and directed her to submit a report within 15 days. Amit Vermani, Additional Secretary in the General Administration Department, has been appointed Presenting Officer.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the NCW sought an Action Taken Report from the Chief Secretary within seven days. NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar called for verification of the video, an impartial inquiry and appropriate disciplinary and legal action if the allegations were established. The Commission also stressed the need to protect the woman officer against workplace harassment, victimisation and professional retaliation.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he had seen the video and described the senior officer’s conduct as falling short of the standards expected of an IAS officer. “The subsequent threats issued to a junior JKAS officer only make matters worse,” he said, adding that he had taken up the issue with the Chief Secretary in the strongest possible terms.

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Acknowledging that control over IAS officers in the Union Territory rests with Lok Bhavan, Omar said he had directed the Chief Secretary to ensure that Beenish Wani faced no retributive action. His remarks came amid a growing row over the incident, with the JKAS Association calling for a pen-down strike.

National Conference president and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah strongly condemned the alleged behaviour, calling the language used against Wani unacceptable and demanding that the officer be removed from Jammu and Kashmir.

“The language he used was very wrong, and it shows he does not have the manners an officer should have,” Farooq said, stressing that public servants, regardless of rank, are appointed to serve the people. He added that had he been in power when the incident occurred, the officer would not merely have been attached but sent out of the Union Territory.

The controversy has brought questions of administrative conduct, accountability and workplace dignity into sharp focus, with the government inquiry and the NCW’s intervention now set to determine the next course of action.