The search for missing boy in flooded drain: A father's relentless quest

GUWAHATI: The search for Abhinash Sarkar, an eight-year-old boy who fell into an open, flooded drain in Guwahati while riding on a scooty with his father on Thursday evening, continued on Saturday, with SDRF and NDRF teams working tirelessly to locate him.
Since the incident, Abhinash’s father has been searching the drains of Jyotinagar area without rest, not even returning home at night.During his search, he managed to find one of his son’s slippers.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the location on Saturday and consoled the parents of the missing child. He encouraged them to return home for the night, considering the well-being of their younger son. “You can come back tomorrow morning again.
The search teams will continue their work through the night. Please, both of you go home tonight, for the sake of your younger child. You cannot lose your strength. Go home tonight, and pray to god. Some things have to be left on the Almighty,” he told the parents.
The father handed over the recovered sandals to the police for verification, stating, “I have been searching and I have found my son’s sandals. The govt has the machinery, they must find my boy.”
Sarma addressed the media at the site, emphasizing that the police and other agencies will continue the search operation. However, he expressed concern for the parents’ well-being, stating that if something were to happen to them, it would be unforgivable.
Sarma said if Abhinash had been stuck in the drain, some trace of him would have been detected by now. He assured that the search operations will continue until the NDRF and SDRF deem it necessary, noting that the drain has been searched seven times by the agencies and twice by the boy’s father himself. Sarma also mentioned his plan to visit Abhinash’s residence on Monday.