India official fined £519 for draining dam to find phone

An Indian government official who gained widespread attention for draining a dam so that he could retrieve his phone has been fined by the authorities. The government has ordered Rajesh Vishwas to pay 53,092 rupees (£519) for illegally pumping out millions of litres of water without seeking proper authorisation. 

Vishwas had accidentally dropped his Samsung phone into the Kherkatta Dam in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Believing the device contained sensitive government data, he claimed it needed to be retrieved. However, he has faced accusations of misusing his position for personal gain.

After local divers failed to locate the phone, Vishwas personally financed the use of a diesel pump, according to local media. The pump operated for several days, depleting thousands of litres of water. Unfortunately, by the time the phone was eventually found, it had been submerged for too long and rendered inoperable.

Vishwas had initially informed the media that he had received verbal permission from an official to drain “some water into a nearby canal.” He claimed that the official stated this action would benefit farmers by providing them with more water. However, following the incident, Vishwas was suspended from his position by the authorities.