UP officer swept away by strong currents in Ganga; divers demanded Rs 10,000 to rescue him, say friends | Kanpur News

KANPUR: A search operation entered its second day Sunday to locate UP health department deputy director Aditya Vardhan Singh, who was swept away by strong currents in the Ganga while taking a bath at Nanamau Ghat in Bilhaur of Unnao Saturday afternoon. The 45-year-old Aditya moved towards deeper waters to get a photo clicked by his friends, according to police.
DCP (West) Rajesh Kumar Singh said: “Preliminary investigation revealed that Aditya wanted to be photographed by his friends while offering ‘arghya’ to the sun god.He crossed the warning mark. He knew how to swim, but apparently got trapped in a strong current.”
Aditya’s friends alleged that they requested private divers at the ghat to save him, but were asked to pay Rs 10,000. When the friends said they didn’t have cash, the divers allegedly demanded online payment. By the time the money was transferred, Aditya had already been swept away.
Aditya, a resident of Indiranagar in Lucknow, was posted in Varanasi. “We resumed the search Sunday morning, but we have not been successful in locating Aditya so far,” said Bilhaur ACP Ajay Kumar Trivedi. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), flood unit, police, and private divers are involved in the search efforts.
Regarding the allegations of divers demanding money, DCP Singh said the divers claimed that they had only requested money for fuel for their steamer. “If there is any truth in the allegations, we will take legal action against the divers,” he added.