‘Who is responsible for his death’ asks father of 18-year-old swept away in Delhi drain

The father of an 18-year-old man who tragically drowned in a drain in Delhi's Sarita Vihar area has questioned who is to blame for his son's death. Ankit Kumar was swept away by a strong current while crossing the drain in the Madanpur Khadar area on Friday evening during a search-and-rescue operation by the police, Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), and Delhi Fire Service.

His body was recovered from the Agra Canal near the spot on Saturday evening, after nearly a day of searching. Kumar's father, Sunil Kumar, works in a private company and lives in a rented house in Ali Village's Bhim Colony, paying Rs 5,000 in rent each month. Speaking to The Indian Express, Sunil Kumar asked, "What was my son's fault?

He was returning from work and called me at around 7.30 pm on Friday to say he would be home soon, as he was near the Shiv Temple. But after some time, a neighbor told me my son had drowned in the drain." The father alleged that the administration took 24 hours to start the search operation, stopping it on Friday night and only resuming on Saturday after public protests.

The drain, though open with a cemented bridge constructed over it, was maintained by Delhi's Irrigation and Flood Control Department. The police are awaiting a response from the department.