Kanpur: A 22-year-old youth, Mayank Chaurasiya, a resident of Prem Nagar in Bajariya police station area, drowned in the Ganga at Bhairav Ghat in Kanpur during his uncle’s last rites on Sunday, police said.Mayank went into the river to bath after the cremation and was swept away by a strong current. On being informed, Kohna police reached the spot.Police deployed two steamers of the water police and a team of six divers to search for Mayank. The water level in the Ganga reaching near the warning point and the strong current made it difficult for the team to carry out combing operations.Mayank’s father, Sanju Kumar Chaurasiya, who runs a paan shop, said his elder brother Suresh Kumar, who lived with them, died on Saturday night due to illness. Family members reached Bhairav Ghat on Sunday for the last rites, he said. After the cremation, Mayank insisted on bathing and entered the water. As he went into deeper water, he was caught in the strong current and drowned. Family members present at the ghat tried to save him after hearing his cries, but Mayank disappeared into the water within moments, said Sanju.Kohna station in charge Manish Kumar Singh reached the spot with force after receiving the information. A team of six divers and steamers started searching for Mayank. “The rescue operation is underway; however, we are yet to retrieve the body,” said the official.Meanwhile, the angry family members alleged that no diver or rescue team reached the spot for about one hour after the incident. They alleged that despite the rise in water level, no barricading or security arrangements were made at the ghats by the administration, leading to the tragic incident.Mayank was pursuing BA.
