Noida techie death: what we know so far

Yuvraj Mehta (27), who worked successful Gurugram, was returning to his location successful Noida Sector 150 erstwhile his car fell into a deep, water-filled pit adjacent an under-construction tract connected the nighttime of January 16. He died aft frantically pleading for help for astir 2 hours connected January 17.

The section constabulary said the post-mortem study of the deceased revealed determination was h2o successful his lungs, and his decease was caused by cardiac arrest. His assemblage was recovered from the pit aft a hunt cognition that lasted hours.

A fewer days earlier, a motortruck had besides crashed astatine the aforesaid location, though the operator survived, according to locals who alleged negligence by section authorities successful failing to instal barricades and informing signage astatine the spot.

Gurvinder Singh, the motortruck operator injured successful the earlier incident, said the mishap occurred connected the nighttime of January 2 amid dense fog and helium remained trapped astatine the tract for astir 4 hours earlier being rescued.

According to locals, the uncovered pit — fed by rainwater and drains and lying conscionable disconnected a well-developed roadworthy with nary barricades and an astir 90-degree crook — had go a superior hazard agelong earlier the clang that claimed Mehta’s life.

Police cull negligence allegation

However, Noida constabulary rejected allegations of negligence. Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajeev Narayan Mishra said constabulary and occurrence section teams made efforts to prevention the younker and deployed a crane, ladder, makeshift vessel and searchlights, but visibility was adjacent zero owed to fog.

According to the Knowledge Park constabulary station, accusation was received astir 12.15 a.m. that a car had fallen into a pit dug for the basement of an under-construction gathering adjacent Sector 150.

After an implicit five-hour hunt operation, the assemblage was recovered aboriginal connected Saturday (January 17, 2026) greeting with the assistance of teams from the occurrence department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the section police.

U.P. Govt orders SIT probe

Two days aft Mehta’s death, the Uttar Pradesh Government removed the Noida Authority Chief Executive Officer and ordered SIT probe into the incident. The three-member SIT comprises ADG Bhanu Bhaskar, Meerut Divisional Commissioner Bhanu Chandra Goswami and Public Works Department Chief Engineer Ajay Verma.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the SIT to analyse the circumstances starring to the fatal mishap and taxable a study wrong 5 days.

“We request to analyse the civic authority, constabulary and exigency authorization and volition springiness our sentiment wrong 5 days. After follow-up meetings, we volition taxable our sentiment to the government,” Mr. Bhaskar said.

Accident site

According to Noida Authority officials, the mishap tract is Plot A-3, carved retired aft the subdivision of Sports City Plot No. 2 by the pb developer, Lotus Green. The 27,185-square-metre plot, designated for commercialized use, was subsequently taken implicit by MZ Wiztown Planners successful 2021.

A commercialized gathering program was initially sanctioned. However, support for a revised, mall-like operation was aboriginal sought by MZ Wiztown.

The authorization rejected the connection successful May 2022, saying that lone shops related to sports activities and nutrient and beverage outlets were permissible nether the approved layout, according to authoritative documents.

After the rejection, operation astatine the tract was halted. Despite the plot’s premier country location, with wide roads connected 2 sides, the excavated basement was near unfastened and unbarricaded.

Real property developer arrested

Police arrested the manager of a existent property firm adjacent arsenic a Special Investigation Team (SIT) visited the tract arsenic it began its probe into the incident.

“Abhay Kumar, the manager of MZ Wiztown Planners and 1 of the accused successful the case, has been arrested from Sector 150,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Hemant Upadhyay said.

Police had filed an FIR connected culpable homicide not amounting to execution and different charges against 2 existent property developers -- MZ Wiztown Planners and Lotus Greens -- connected a ailment by unfortunate Yuvraj Mehta’s father, Raj Kumar Mehta, who alleged negligence by section authorities and sought accountability.

There was nary authoritative connection connected the enactment against the different accused firm.

India’s municipality illness owed to deficiency of accountability, says Rahul Gandhi

Raising the contented of the techie’s death, Congress person Rahul Gandhi said India’s municipality illness is not astir deficiency of money, technology, oregon solutions but astir the deficiency of accountability.

In a station connected X, Gandhi said, “Roads kill, bridges kill, fires kill, h2o kills, contamination kills, corruption kills, indifference kills.” “India’s municipality illness isn’t astir deficiency of money, technology, oregon solutions. It’s astir deficiency of accountability.TINA m: There Is No Accountability,” the Leader of Opposition successful Lok Sabha said.

(Inputs from PTI)