Ankit Kumar was returning from work when he was swept away by rainwater while crossing a drain in Southeast Delhi on 7 August evening. (Express Image)“I will be home soon.”Those were the last words 18-year-old Ankit Kumar said to his father on the evening of August 7.He never made it.Ankit, who had recently started a private job in Noida, was swept away by a strong current while crossing a rainwater-filled drain in Southeast Delhi’s Madanpur Khadar. His body was recovered near the Agra Canal on Saturday evening, after around 24 hours of search operations.The family lives in a rented house in Ali village’s Bhim Colony, where Sunil works in the pantry of a private company. Ankit was the elder of Sunil’s two sons. They pay Rs 5,000 a month in rent.“Who is responsible for the death of my son? He was returning home after work,” said Sunil.Ankit had called him around 7.30 pm to say he was nearby and would soon be home. “But after some time, a neighbour came and told me that my son had drowned in the drain,” said Sunil.Through the night, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority and Delhi Fire Service searched for Ankit. “They took 24 hours to find his body. On Friday night, they stopped the operation. When people protested on Saturday, they came back and restarted the search,” Sunil said.Story continues below this adAnkit’s body was finally found near the Agra Canal, around half a kilometre from where he was swept away, he added.According to police, the drain — maintained by the Delhi Irrigation and Flood Control department — is open, with a cemented bridge built over it for people to cross. Ankit was crossing the bridge when his leg was swept into the overflowing drain, they added. A response from the department is awaited.“Earlier, we had heard about people slipping into this drain. However, no one had died like this,” said Sunil, adding that Ankit had recently started working.