SRINAGAR :A senior IAS officer in Jammu and Kashmir has triggered a controversy after a purported video showed him allegedly using foul language and threatening a junior woman officer during an official meeting.
The officer in question is Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, a 2010-batch IAS officer presently posted as Administrative Secretary, Labour & Employment Department. The incident allegedly occurred during a review meeting of Mission YUVA.
As per the video that has surfaced, Ranjan was seen interrupting Beenish Wani, a 2015-batch JKAS officer working as Assistant Director, Employment and Counselling Centre, Ganderbal, while she was presenting the achievements of her office through video conferencing.
During the discussion over involvement of NRLM, Ranjan questioned why the agency was being involved when the task was assigned to the Assistant Directors. When Wani tried to clarify that NRLM was only assisting as a helping agency, the senior officer allegedly lost his cool.
In the clip, Ranjan is purportedly heard shouting at her to remain silent and allegedly using abusive words. "I am your boss," he is heard saying, when the junior officer objected to the language used against her.
The argument escalated further when Ranjan allegedly directed another officer present in the meeting room to draft a suspension order for Wani. Responding to it, Wani said he may go ahead with the suspension.
The exchange heated up with Wani allegedly retorting sharply, following which Ranjan asked his staff to put her remarks on record and to write to the General Administration Department for her removal from service.
Meanwhile, attempts to reach both officers for comments did not materialize.
It is pertinent to mention that Ranjan is already facing a CBI probe in connection with the arms licence case pertaining to his tenure as Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, where irregularities were alleged in issuance of thousands of arms licences to non-residents. A disproportionate assets case was also registered against him and his family last year.