IITian drowns in canal during outing with friends; body found

India Feb 17, 2026

Ashish Shukla, a 30-year-old MBA student at IIT Roorkee, drowned after slipping into the Ganganahar canal while hanging out with friends on February 11, 2026.
Despite their efforts to save him, he was swept away by strong currents.
His body was discovered five days later (on February 16, 2026) near Mohammadpur Jhal.

Body found 5 days later, search operation involved multiple agencies

Shukla's disappearance sparked one of Roorkee's biggest-ever search operations, involving agencies like the SDRF, NDRF, Army, water police, and nearly 100 personnel—including 20 professional divers.
The canal water was even stopped multiple times to help the search teams.
Authorities said he slipped and was swept away by strong currents; the body was sent for post-mortem and legal formalities were initiated.