Govt Officer Drains 21 Lakh Litres Of Water From Reservoir To Recover His Phone Worth ₹96K

If you search the news online, you will come across quite a few cases of government officials misusing their power and resources for personal gains on a regular basis. From money laundering cases to police cases brushed under the carpet, the list is endless. Here’s a recent example.

Rajesh Vishwas is a food inspector who is posted in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district. Over the weekend, he visited the Kherkatta Paralkot reservoir to enjoy his day off. However, he dropped his expensive smartphone in the reservoir while trying to click a selfie. It was a Samsung S23 phone that is priced at Rs 96,000.

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What he did next was shocking. To recover the phone, Rajesh Vishwas approached the Irrigation Department for help. According to CNBC, they together planned to drain the reservoir to get hold of the phone.

21 lakh litres of water was drained from the reservoir over a span of 3 days to recover the phone. That water was meant to irrigate 1,500 acres of land.

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What’s worse? The phone was recovered but wasn’t functional and couldn’t be repaired because it was submerged for an extended period of time.

When he was questioned about his actions, he claimed that the water that was pumped out was “wastewater” and “unsuitable” for irrigation. He then said that he had received permission from the Kanker Irrigation Department’s sub-officer to empty 3-4 feet of water. He further reasoned that he had important contacts on his phone.

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However, the Deputy Officer of the Irrigation Department claimed that the water level had been reduced by more than 10 feet, causing excessive wastage.

Rajesh Vishwas has now been suspended for his actions. Serves him well!

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