Kashmir IAS officer faces backlash after heated exchange with woman subordinate

Political leaders from the National Conference and PDP have demanded action against senior IAS officer Kumar Rajiv Ranjan after a video showed him allegedly using derogatory language against a woman officer and threatening to suspend her during an official meeting.

The video of the heated exchange during a review meeting for Mission YUVA has gone viral on social media, triggering widespread criticism of Ranjan's conduct.

The meeting was held on October 14 and chaired by Ranjan, Administrative Secretary of Labour and Employment. Among those who attended virtually was Beenish Wani, a Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officer serving as Assistant Director in the Labour and Employment Department.

The confrontation reportedly began during a discussion on the role of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in implementing the programme. Questioning the need for NRLM's involvement, Ranjan told Wani that she was passing on her work to others and described the mission as merely a supporting agency rather than an authority.

Wani responded that NRLM was not the main authority but was expected to assist the department. She also said that her team had completed its target.

Ranjan then appeared to lose his temper, shouting at her to remain silent. Wani challenged his tone, asking how he could speak to her in that manner. Ranjan responded with a derogatory remark directed at the woman officer.

When Wani objected to his language, Ranjan was heard asking another officer in the room to prepare her suspension order. Wani replied that he could suspend her if he wished.

Ranjan subsequently shouted at her to leave the meeting. As she appeared to disconnect, Wani was heard saying, “To hell with you.”

The incident has drawn sharp reactions from political leaders in Kashmir, who have called for disciplinary action against the senior bureaucrat.

This is not the first time Ranjan, a 2010-batch IAS officer, has faced controversy. He was suspended in 2020 after being arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over his alleged involvement in an arms licence scam. Last year, the CBI registered a case against him and his family members over allegations that they had amassed assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

Ranjan's phone was switched off when contacted for comment. Wani told The Indian Express that the incident was “very unfortunate on his part”.

National Conference leader and Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah condemned Ranjan's behaviour, saying the officer had threatened a woman's career because she had asked to finish speaking.

“That is how a senior IAS officer talks with a woman KAS officer,” Ruhullah said, adding that while Ranjan had raised his voice, Wani had stood up for her dignity.

He linked the incident to the abrogation of Article 370, alleging that it had led to an environment in which administrative officers behaved as though they were conquerors. Tagging the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Secretary, he warned of consequences if action were taken against Wani for standing up for herself.

PDP leader Iltija Mufti also criticised Ranjan, condemning what she described as derogatory and demeaning language. In a post on X, she alleged that local officers in the administration and police were being undermined and made subservient to officers from outside the region.

Calling for the intervention of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Mufti demanded Ranjan's immediate suspension. She also questioned whether the same standards of accountability applied to him as to Kashmiri employees who, she alleged, were swiftly dismissed.

PDP leader and Pulwama MLA Waheed Para described the incident as deeply unfortunate. He said the treatment of a woman officer raised concerns about how ordinary citizens might be treated.

“If a woman officer can be threatened and treated this way, imagine the plight of ordinary people,” Para said, alleging that some officers from outside the region behaved as though Kashmiris were their subjects rather than citizens with constitutional rights.