Omar takes note of IAS officer ‘abusing’ female colleague

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the alleged verbal abuse of JKAS officer Beenish Wani by senior IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan. He directed the chief secretary to prevent retaliatory action and called for accountability over the incident

Srinagar: Taking note of the alleged verbal abuse of a woman Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officer by a senior IAS officer in “strongest possible terms”, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the senior bureaucrat’s conduct prima facie was not in keeping with the expected standards.

Taking to X, Abdullah said he has instructed the chief secretary to ensure that the JKAS does not face any retribution after senior IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan allegedly threatened to recommend her dismissal from service.

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“I’ve seen the video of the online meeting that is circulating on social media. Prima facie, the conduct of the senior bureaucrat was not in keeping with the standards expected of a senior IAS officer and 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, a UT’s control over IAS officers rests with the Lok Bhavan, but as chief minister, I’ve instructed the chief secretary to ensure that the JKAS officer faces no retributive action,” Abdullah said.

The chief minister also said that had J-K been a state, the IAS officer seen abusing the young JKAS officer would have been attached to the General Administration Department pending an inquiry into his conduct.

“As an UT, we expect the authorities with control over IAS officers to set the right example and ensure that abusive, threatening behaviour is not brushed under the carpet,” Abdullah said.

The row erupted after videos of the heated argument between Ranjan and Assistant Director Beenish Wani over the role of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) during a review meeting on Mission YUVA surfaced on social media.

The JKAS fraternity has condemned the alleged abuse and public humiliation of Wani and demanded an impartial inquiry into the incident.