Teens drown in Yamuna: Family says children lied, else tragedy could have been averted

Pradeep Maan, father of one of the boys who drowned, said if he had any idea that the kids were going to the Yamuna, he would have not allowed him as neither Ankit nor Aditya knew how to swim.

On Saturday morning, Ankit Maan left his house with cousin Aaditya and five other classmates. He had reportedly told his parents that he was going to the stadium to practise running. Two hours later, Ankit’s family received a phone call from the police informing that Ankit had drowned in the Yamuna. His family says that the tragedy could have been averted had the children not lied to them.

Identity card of one of the four boys who drowned in the Yamuna on August 5, 2018. (HT Photo)

Pradeep Maan, Ankit’s father, said if he had any idea that the kids were going to the Yamuna, he would have not allowed him as neither Ankit nor Aditya knew how to swim.

“It was around 5.30 am when Ankit left the house. When I asked him, he said that he is going for a run at the stadium near his school. He used to go to practise in the stadium every Sunday. I had no inkling that he, along with others, were going to the river,” said Pradeep Maan, who works with the Delhi Transport Corporation.

It was around 8 am when Maan got a call from the police. “The police officer on the phone first asked me where my son was. I said Ankit has gone to the stadium. The cop then told me that my son has drowned in the Yamuna in Palla village. Soon, we rushed to the spot. We saw rescue agencies carrying out the operation to fish out the bodies,” he said.

Father of Nitin Pal, whose body remained untraced till late Sunday evening, said that since the Yamuna is overflowing, the administration should have made adequate measures to ensure no one goes near it. “Four kids drowned in the Yamuna. The government must take action and ensure that such incidents do not recur. There was no one who could raise alarm or save our kids,” said Sri Pal, who runs an automobiles shop in Sersa.

Ankit, his cousin Aditya along with Nitin and Lalit, all aged 14 years and students of Amar Siksha Sadan in Sersa village of Haryana, drowned in Yamuna on Sunday morning. They all studied in the same class. Their three friends — Kshitij, Mukul and Abhay — were accompanying them.