Accused Officer Claims Video May Be 'Morphed'; Labour Dept Says Clips 'Selectively Edited'

Srinagar, Oct 15 (KNS): A purported video showing a senior IAS officer allegedly abusing a woman JKAS officer during an official review meeting has sparked outrage in Jammu and Kashmir, with the JKAS fraternity and an employees' body demanding an impartial probe and safeguards against retaliatory action.

The controversy centres on an October 14 review meeting of Mission YUVA at the Civil Secretariat here, where Assistant Director Beenish Wani was allegedly subjected to verbal abuse by senior IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan.

The video purportedly shows Ranjan telling Wani, "You are bl**dy shit" and "I am your boss, stupid", and directing officials to prepare her suspension order and write to the General Administration Department (GAD) seeking her dismissal.

Ranjan has said the footage may be "morphed or AI-generated", according to a local news agency. The claims surrounding the video have not been independently established.

The meeting was convened to review the implementation of Mission YUVA, a government initiative focused on employment and entrepreneurship.

According to the purported footage, the confrontation began when Wani referred to the role of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in implementing the programme and raised issues relating to coordination.

Ranjan questioned why the department needed assistance from another agency to meet its targets, maintaining that NRLM was a supporting agency rather than the principal authority responsible for implementation.

As Wani attempted to explain her department's position, Ranjan repeatedly interrupted her and asked her to stop speaking. Wani objected, saying she was not being allowed to present her explanation.

The exchange escalated when Ranjan allegedly used abusive language. Wani objected to being called "shit" and said he could not speak to her in that manner.

Ranjan then directed officials to prepare a suspension order and record Wani's remarks. He also asked them to write to the GAD seeking her dismissal, according to the footage.

During the meeting, Ranjan criticised her work, alleging that she had failed to deliver results, before returning to operational issues involving Bandipora and Baramulla.

He also referred to information from the Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal, that Wani had been on leave since October 13. He shared a copy of her application seeking 10 days of earned leave on medical grounds, from October 13 to October 22. The application did not carry the approval of the competent authority.

Wani could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts through phone calls and WhatsApp messages.

The JKAS Fraternity on Thursday condemned what it described as the alleged abuse and public humiliation of a serving officer, and urged the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Secretary and the GAD to order an impartial inquiry.

While acknowledging the importance of administrative accountability and performance reviews, the fraternity said these could not be used to justify intimidation or abusive conduct.

"Seniority must command respect through conduct, not fear or intimidation. Authority is a responsibility and not a licence to humiliate," a senior JKAS told KNS.

The fraternity also sought an independent technical examination of the video, saying the affected officer and other officials present during the virtual meeting had affirmed its authenticity. It argued that the reported leave status of an officer could not, by itself, disprove the authenticity of a recorded meeting.

It further sought assurances that Wani would not face retaliatory action and called for scrutiny of both the alleged incident and the subsequent departmental clarification.

The Jammu and Kashmir Employees Joint Action Committee (J&K EJAC) also condemned the alleged use of abusive language and demanded a time-bound and impartial inquiry.

EJAC spokesperson Mir Bashir Ahmad said the organisation's president, Wajahat Hussain Durrani, had called for appropriate action against anyone found guilty.

According to the organisation, Durrani said such conduct, if established, would be inconsistent with the dignity and decorum expected of public servants. He stressed that differences of opinion must be expressed professionally and that every government employee deserved respect, irrespective of rank or position.

The JKAS Fraternity said administrative discipline must be based on fairness, mutual respect and accountability. It urged the administration to ensure that the matter was examined transparently and that no retaliatory action was taken against the officer.

The EJAC, meanwhile, called on the government to establish the facts without delay and take action in accordance with the rules against anyone found guilty.

The episode has also prompted questions about the treatment of women employees within the administrative hierarchy, particularly those working under senior officials.

Joint Director, Rural Development Department (RDD), Mantasha Binti Rashid, extended support to her fellow JKAS officer.

In a social media post reacting to the incident, she wrote: "I stand in support of a fellow JKAS officer who is respectfully engaging with her boss in a meeting and trying to explain herself, whereas he is acting like a hooligan, as if engaging in a roadside brawl, and uses unparliamentary language with her.

"What happens in these meetings is often humiliating and demeaning. Senior officers need to know what is acceptable and where to draw the line, especially when dealing with local officers who often know much more about the matters on the ground.

"This official high-handedness cannot be accepted or tolerated. Perhaps a few, in order to stay in the good books of their bosses, take anything and everything, but anything that is undignified in any professional setup shall not be made a norm.

"Sadly, a lot of it is quietly being normalised by power-hungry seniors and spineless juniors.

"We work, but not at the cost of respect. You can extract work, but not by trampling others.

"#IStandWithBeenish," she added.

Senior journalist Samaan Latief, reacting to the purported video on social media, questioned what the alleged exchange meant for women employees lower down the hierarchy.

"Can't imagine what women employees lower down the hierarchy must be going through if a senior IAS officer can speak to a woman officer in such an abusive manner. It's pathetic and utterly outrageous!" He wrote.

Several other social media users called for accountability, arguing that seniority should not place public servants beyond scrutiny.

Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah also reacted to the incident.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelTaking to microblogging site X, he wrote:

"That is how a senior IAS officer in J&K — the Administrative Secretary, Labour and Employment — dealt with a woman KAS officer who would not be shouted down in front of a room full of officers.

"He raised his voice. She raised her dignity. He reached for the only weapon a bully in office has: her job.

"This is a grown man occupying a Secretary's chair, threatening a woman's career because she asked to be allowed to finish a sentence.

"She was composed. She was clear. She did not flinch. That is what dignity and self-respect look like.

"He is what a problem looks like.

"This is what the abrogation of Article 370 has brought upon us — an assault on dignity at every level. Even officers in the administration behave like conquerors."

"LG Sinha, CS Atal Dulloo — if she is touched for holding her dignity, it will have consequences."

Meanwhile, People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti also reacted to the incident, stating, "How dare you use such derogatory and demeaning language? Take your god complex and dirty slurs elsewhere. We will not tolerate this in Kashmir."

In a post on X, she said, "Since 2019, KAS officers and competent Kashmiri IAS officers have been deliberately sidelined. There is a concerted effort to undermine local officers in both the administration and the police, thereby rendering them subservient to outside officers who lord over them."

"Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and LG Sinha, decency demands that this man be suspended immediately. You are quick to dismiss Kashmiri employees. I hope you apply the same standard here."

The JKAS Fraternity, in a statement, strongly condemned the verbal abuse, personal insults and public humiliation of a senior female JKAS officer of the 2015 batch by Secretary, Labour and Employment Department, Shri Rajeev Ranjan, during an official departmental review meeting held at the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar, on October 14, which many officers of the department, including Ms Beenish Wani, joined virtually despite her being on leave due to a fracture.

While the Fraternity unequivocally upheld administrative accountability and performance monitoring, it maintained that no supervisory authority can justify abusive language, intimidation or such misconduct that undermines the dignity of a serving officer.

It is pertinent to note that this is not an isolated incident, as the said officer is alleged to have a pattern of using unparliamentary and demeaning language in an official capacity.

The reported leave status of an officer cannot, by itself, disprove the authenticity of a recorded virtual meeting. Declaring the footage fabricated without a transparent and independent technical examination risks misleading the public and shifting attention away from the substantive issue of conduct and workplace dignity.

The JKAS Fraternity called upon the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Secretary and the General Administration Department to order an impartial inquiry into both the original incident and the subsequent departmental clarification; ensure that no retaliatory action is taken against the affected officer; and establish effective safeguards against workplace intimidation and abuse of authority.

The Fraternity reiterated that administrative discipline must be founded on mutual respect, fairness and accountability. An apology should mark the beginning of corrective action, not be followed by conduct that further aggravates the matter. Institutional authority must never become a shield against scrutiny, and the dignity of every civil servant must be protected without exception.

It is further demanded that the concerned officer tender a public apology; that no further harm be caused to the aggrieved officer; and that proceedings for misconduct be recommended against Mr Rajeev Ranjan for misbehaving with and verbally abusing a fellow officer, and for misusing his office to issue a false statement. Additionally, a zero-tolerance policy towards such behaviour in official meetings should be implemented to ensure that such conduct is not normalised, while upholding the principles of professional ethics and accountability.

In the event that immediate and appropriate corrective measures are not taken, AJJSKA shall be constrained to resort to a Pen-Down Strike and pursue appropriate legal remedies in accordance with law to seek justice and accountability in the matter.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labour and Employment, Jammu and Kashmir, has issued a clarification regarding selectively edited video clips circulating on social media, originating from a review meeting chaired by the Secretary, Labour and Employment Department, on October 14, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

The Department clarified that the extensive review meeting focused on assessing departmental performance across all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It further stated that the complete recording of the meeting is available with the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

During the deliberations, the Chair emphasised the high expectations associated with Mission YUVA and urged district officers to work with utmost dedication, responsibility and commitment. The officers were reminded of the importance of ensuring effective implementation of the mission and timely delivery of its benefits to eligible youth.

The Department reiterated that mutual respect, discipline and professional decorum are essential in official interactions, and that all officers and officials are expected to maintain due respect towards their seniors while discharging their official duties. It also emphasised that provocative remarks and inappropriate language have no place in professional administrative engagements, which must remain guided by mutual respect, restraint and institutional dignity.

Expressing regret over the developments surrounding the meeting, the Department stated that the circulation of selectively edited video clips by certain social media handles, without the complete context of the proceedings, was a matter of concern. It reiterated that the clips being circulated are unverified and that selective editing of internal administrative discussions may create a misleading impression of the actual proceedings.

The Department further stated that the matter would be taken to its logical conclusion in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations.

The Department has appealed to members of the media and the public to exercise caution and refrain from sharing or relying on unverified and sensationalised content circulating on social media. It reiterated its commitment to youth empowerment, effective implementation of Mission YUVA and improved public service delivery across Jammu and Kashmir. (KNS)