Mr Rajesh Vishwas has since been suspended.

It took workers three days to pump millions of litres of water out of the dam into which Mr Vishwas dropped his Samsung phone. He claimed that the phone held sensitive government information.

The phone was eventually found at the bottom of Kherkatta Dam, but was irreparably damaged. Mr Vishwas employed local divers and when that did not work he paid for a diesel pump to remove the water, The Times reports.

Official sources have said that Mr Vishwas has been suspended until an official enquiry.