Srinagar, Oct 15 (KNS): The All J&K Junior Scale KAS Association (AJJSKA) on Thursday challenged the department's reported claim that a video showing the alleged humiliation of a woman JKAS officer was AI-generated, asserting that the footage was genuine and demanding an independent inquiry into both the incident and the subsequent official clarification.

In a statement issued from Srinagar, the association condemned the alleged verbal abuse and public humiliation of a senior woman JKAS officer of the 2015 batch during an official review meeting at the Civil Secretariat on October 14.

The association said the department's reported attempt to dismiss the circulating video as fabricated had raised further questions about administrative accountability.

“The video is authentic, as testified by the officer herself and other officials who were present during the virtual meeting,” the association claimed.

It questioned the basis of the departmental clarification, saying the reported leave status of an officer could not, by itself, establish that footage of a virtual meeting was fabricated.

The association said declaring the video AI-generated without an independent technical examination risked misleading the public and diverting attention from the alleged misconduct.

It also criticised what it described as the Administrative Secretary's handling of the controversy, saying the matter should have been addressed through an apology and appropriate institutional action rather than a clarification that further aggravated the dispute.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The association maintained that while administrative accountability and performance monitoring were essential, no supervisory authority could justify abusive language, intimidation or conduct undermining the dignity of a serving officer.

It urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and the General Administration Department to order an impartial inquiry into the alleged incident and the subsequent departmental clarification.

The association also demanded safeguards against workplace intimidation and assurances that no retaliatory action would be taken against the officer concerned.

“An apology should mark the beginning of corrective action, not be followed by conduct that further aggravates the matter,” the statement said.

The controversy follows reports of a confrontation involving senior IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan and JKAS officer Beenish Wani during a Mission YUVA review meeting in Srinagar on Wednesday.

The association's assertions regarding the video's authenticity and the departmental clarification have not been independently verified.

The association said institutional authority must not shield officials from scrutiny and that the dignity of every civil servant must be protected irrespective of rank. (KNS)