The body of an MBA second-year student from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, who had gone missing after falling into the Ganganahar canal, was recovered on Monday following an extensive multi-agency search operation that lasted nearly five days. The deceased, identified as Ashish Shukla, was a resident of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and had been missing since February 11.
According to officials, Shukla slipped into the canal near Roorkee while spending time with friends and was immediately swept away by the strong current. Authorities launched an intensive search soon after the incident, deploying large-scale rescue resources in an effort to locate him. The operation continued uninterrupted for several days, with teams working across a wide stretch of the canal under challenging conditions.
The body was eventually recovered on Monday morning near Mohammadpur Jhal after officials once again halted the canal’s water flow on a large scale to facilitate the search. Earlier during the operation, authorities had temporarily stopped the water twice to improve visibility and allow divers to conduct detailed underwater scans.
Officials described the mission as the largest coordinated search operation ever undertaken in Roorkee. Personnel from multiple agencies, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Army, water police, local police, and the district disaster management department, participated in the effort. Members of the Bengal Engineering Group were also involved, while approximately 20 professional divers were specially brought in to assist with underwater searches.
Nearly 100 personnel combed the canal stretch from Valmiki Ghat to Asafnagar Jhal using advanced search techniques and systematic underwater exploration. Experienced divers repeatedly scanned the canal bed across the entire route, continuing the operation despite strong currents and difficult water conditions.
After sustained efforts over five days, the search teams finally located and recovered Shukla’s body, bringing the operation to a close. Authorities have initiated the required legal procedures and sent the body for post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
According to reports, Ashish Shukla had visited the canal area near Nagar Nigam with friends for an evening outing on February 11. While sitting at Valmiki Ghat, he allegedly lost his balance, slipped, and fell into the water. Witnesses stated that he was quickly carried away by the powerful current. His friends immediately raised an alarm, and locals rushed to help, with some attempting a rescue, but the force of the flowing water made intervention impossible, and he disappeared from view within moments.
