Siddharthnagar: The Executive Engineer of the Drainage Division in Siddharthnagar has sought legal action against three journalists, alleging disruption of official work, inappropriate conduct and interference with government duties.
According to a complaint submitted to the District Magistrate, the alleged incident occurred on July 28, 2026, while the department was attending a video conference with Uttar Pradesh Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh regarding the flood situation, flood-control measures and other departmental issues.
The complaint names Rakesh Yadav of NNI, Ravi Sharma of Hindi Khabar and Pramod Tripathi of Jansandesh. The Executive Engineer has alleged that the three journalists arrived at the Drainage Division office while the video conference was underway and sought to enter his office.
The complaint states that an Assistant Engineer informed them that an official meeting was in progress and requested them to wait until it concluded. Despite this, the journalists allegedly continued speaking loudly outside the office.
The Executive Engineer has further alleged that remarks were made against sub-engineers, including accusations of corruption. According to the complaint, the incident allegedly disrupted the ongoing video conference.
The letter claims that officials and employees attempted to explain the situation, but the journalists allegedly continued using inappropriate language. The Executive Engineer has also alleged that they threatened to publish further reports against officials and interfere with government work.
Based on these allegations, the Executive Engineer has requested the District Magistrate to examine the matter and take appropriate action under applicable rules and law.
The allegations contained in the complaint have not been independently verified. The responses of the three journalists named in the complaint were not available at the time of publication. Their statements will be added if they respond to the allegations.