Following massive outrage over a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer using abusive language against a junior woman colleague during an online meeting, the Jammu and Kashmir Government ordered an inquiry on Friday.
Senior IAS officer Mandeep Kaur, commissioner secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, has been appointed the inquiry officer to probe the alleged misconduct of IAS officer Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, secretary of the Labour and Employment Department. The action comes a day after a video of the review meeting for Mission YUVA, an entrepreneurship and self-employment initiative, went viral, in which Ranjan was seen losing his cool and using abusive language against Assistant Director Beenish Wani. After the video went viral, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote to Chief Secretary Atul Dulloo to ensure that no retributive action is taken against the woman officer.
Amit Vermani, who is the additional secretary in the General Administration Department, will be the presiding officer, and the report has to be submitted within 15 days.
When Wani objected to being interrupted, Ranjan allegedly said, “You are b****y s**t,” to which Wani retorted, “You can’t call me s**t”. Ranjan replied, “I am your boss,” and later called for her suspension.
