Indian official drains reservoir to retrieve his phone

Local media reported that Vishwas first asked local divers to retrieve the phone, claiming it contained sensitive government data. But after initial efforts failed, he asked for the reservoir to be emptied using diesel pumps. — Unsplash

A bureaucrat in the central Indian state of Chattisgarh ordered over a million liters of water to be drained from a reservoir to retrieve a smartphone he had dropped while taking a selfie, according to a report in the Times of India.

Rajesh Vishwas, a food inspector with the provincial government, has been suspended and inquiries are being conducted about others who allowed the water to be drained. The official claimed not to have taken any action overstepping his authority in a video recording, the newspaper said.