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)“Who is responsible for the death of my son” asked the father of an 18-year-old man who drowned in a rainwater-filled drain in Southeast Delhi’s Sarita Vihar area on Friday.Ankit Kumar, 18, was swept away by a strong current while crossing a drain in the Madanpur Khadar area on Friday evening, prompting a search-and-rescue operation by the police, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), and the Delhi Fire Service. His body was recovered near the Agra Canal on Saturday evening, after nearly a day of search operations.Kumar was the elder son of his parents. His father, Sunil Kumar, works in the pantry of a private company. The family lives in a rented house in Ali Village’s Bhim Colony and pay Rs 5,000 in monthly rent.Speaking to The Indian Express, his father said, “What was my son’s fault? He was returning from work and called me at around 7.30 pm on Friday to say that he would be home soon, as he was near the Shiv Temple. But after some time, a neighbour came and told me that my son had drowned in the drain.”Also Read | Delhi crosses monthly August rainfall in first 8 days of month“In previous years, we had also heard about people slipping into the same drain. However, no one had died like this,” he said.He further alleged, “The administration took 24 hours to search for my son’s body. In fact, on Friday night, they stopped the operation and went back to their homes. On Saturday, when people protested, they came back and restarted the search operation. They finally recovered his body from the Agra Canal, which is around half kilometer away from the spot.”Story continues below this adThe father added that his son had recently started a private job in Noida and would often tell him that he would now take care of the family.According to the police, the drain is open, though a cemented bridge has been constructed over it for people to cross. On Friday evening, Kumar was crossing this bridge when he was swept away by rainwater in the drain.The police said the drain is maintained by Delhi’s Irrigation and Flood Control Department. A response from the department is awaited.