Greater Noida (Sector 150): Following the death of 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta, the administration and concerned officials are under scrutiny regarding their performance and accountability.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): On January 16, 27-year-old youth software Engineer Yuvraj Mehta, who worked at the IT company Dunnhumby in Gurugram, died while returning home from the office (Tata Eureka Park). Due to dense fog, his car lost balance at a 90-degree turn in Greater Noida (Sector 150) and fell into a 20-30 feet deep pit (which is part of an approximately 13.29 lakh square meter plot owned by MZ Wiztown Planners Private Limited. This plot was allotted for constructing a private mall and the excavation for the basement was done in 2021).
According to eyewitnesses, despite the 90-degree sharp turn on the road, there were no warning sign boards, safety barricades, lights, or road markings. Additionally, some time earlier, a truck had also fallen into this water-filled pit, but its driver was safely rescued. Even after the first accident, negligence was shown by the Noida Authority, concerned officials, and the builder, which ultimately led to Yuvraj’s death. The accident occurred due to complete lack of road safety measures on a foggy night.
software Engineer Yuvraj Mehta struggled for approximately 90 minutes (some reports say up to 2.5 hours) to save his life. He turned on his phone light to call for help and shouted loudly. However, the rescue teams did not arrive on time, and he drowned in the water. According to the postmortem report, his death was caused by asphyxiation and heart failure.
This case went highly viral on social media, with people raising serious questions about the system, administration, and municipal negligence. This was not just an accident but exposed major shortcomings in city planning, safety, and emergency response. Seeing public anger, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath formed a 3-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) and promised action against guilty officials. The owner of MZ Wiztown Planners Private Limited, Abhay Kumar, (Ravi Bansal, Sachin Lotas Green Builder’s) has been arrested by the police.
In the Yuvraj Mehta death case, statements by Mohinder Kumar, a delivery boy from Flipkart, are being widely discussed. This has put the administration’s actions under question, showing how authorities appear eager to cover up lapses and mistakes by their departments in such incidents.
Read It: Stampede at Actor Thalapathy Vijay’s Political Rally: 39 Dead
Mohinder Kumar told NDTV on the night of the incident that Yuvraj was crying and shouting “Brother, please save me somehow” for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. He said that none of the rescue teams (police, fire brigade, and NDRF) entered the water on time, and if help had arrived 10-15 minutes earlier, Yuvraj could have been saved. Mohinder explained that when he reached the spot, he risked his own life by tying a rope and jumping into the water to search for Yuvraj, but due to dense fog, he could not find the already drowned person. Mohinder claimed that the system failed to save Yuvraj.
A few days after the incident (he was asked to stay away from media for about 10 days), the police called him near Knowledge Park police station. 3-4 officers took him to a park and scolded him for speaking to the media. They gave him a “script” and recorded a video in which he was made to claim that police and fire brigade officials had entered the water and made every possible effort. Out of fear, he agreed, but later called it wrong. Mohinder said he was pressured and threatened (even told to leave the city) to change his statement.
On January 20-21, Hindustan Times published his detailed interview in which he openly accused the police. He stated: “I was called to the police station and they gave me a script saying that the police had entered the water and made every effort to save Yuvraj. They recorded a video and told me to stay away from the media for 5-10 days.”
“I got scared, so I agreed at that time, but later I decided that I would speak the truth because I am the only eyewitness who came forward in this case. My family and local people supported my decision.”
In the interview, he also expressed regret that he could not save Yuvraj and showed disappointment over the system’s failure. In this report, he openly highlighted the police’s negligence and pressure. The changes in Mohinder’s statements have created further controversy in the case, leading to his inclusion in the SIT investigation.