'B****y S***': IAS officer's abuse of female colleague during virtual J&K meeting sparks row

Identified as Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, Secretary of the Labour and Employment Department in Jammu and Kashmir, the officer was heard using abusive language against Beenish Wani, a Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officer, during a virtual meeting.

IAS officer caught on camera abusing colleague

In the viral video, Ranjan was allegedly heard calling Wani "b**y s*" before asserting, "I am your boss."

The incident reportedly occurred during a review meeting of Mission YUVA, which was held to assess the progress of the National Rural Mission Scheme.

Wani said she had attended the meeting virtually despite suffering a foot fracture and being on leave.

When asked about the video, Wani confirmed its authenticity and emphasised the importance of upholding the dignity of women.

Officer apologises, cites heated argument

Ranjan later apologised, saying he had made the remark in the heat of the moment.

However, he alleged that Wani had also used inappropriate language during the exchange, including the words "hell with you".

"Tell me, in such a situation, how will the hierarchy function when a junior officer starts using such language for you?" Ranjan asked, as quoted by NDTV.

He also urged people to watch the entire recording of the one-hour meeting before drawing conclusions.

"To understand the full context of the heated argument, please go through the entire video of the one-hour meeting before jumping to any conclusion," he said.

Department stresses professional decorum

Reacting to the incident, the department underlined the importance of mutual respect, discipline and professional decorum in workplace interactions.

It also emphasised that officers and officials are expected to show due respect to their seniors while discharging their duties.

The department expressed concern over the circulation of an edited video on social media.