A horrific incident has come to light from Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, where a 27-year-old software engineer died after his car broke through the boundary of a drain and fell into water near the Sector-150 intersection. The case has sparked widespread outrage, with the victim’s family alleging gross administrative negligence.
The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Knowledge Park Police Station on the night of January 16–17. The victim, identified as Yuvraj Mehta, was returning home from work when his car collided with the drainage boundary and plunged into a deep ditch.
Citing officials, IANS reported that dense fog coupled with the absence of reflectors on the road caused his car to hit a high-ground ridge separating two drainage basins. The vehicle then fell into a 70-foot-deep ditch filled with water. Eyewitnesses recalled that Mehta screamed for help as his car submerged.
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A Phone Call To His Father
In a harrowing phone call to his father, Rajkumar Mehta, he said, “Dad, I’ve fallen into a deep pit filled with water. I’m drowning. Please come and save me. I don’t want to die.”
Speaking to the news agency ANI, the victim’s father, Rajkumar Mehta, said his son struggled in the water for nearly two hours. He also alleged that the bystanders kept filing the incident.
“My son was struggling to save himself. My son was crying out for help, asking people to help him, but most of the crowd was just watching. Some people were making videos. My son struggled for 2 hours to save his life. The officials and staff present were unable to save him. They did not have any divers. There is negligence on the part of the administration in this entire matter,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, HT reported that Mehta stood on top of the vehicle for nearly 90 minutes before it sank completely.
Following the tragic accident, the victim’s family filed a complaint, alleging that authorities had neither installed reflectors nor covered the drains along the service road.
Rescue Operations
Rescue efforts began immediately, with local police, divers, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams rushing to the spot. His father, Rajkumar Mehta, was also present during the operation.
After nearly five hours, the team managed to pull Mehta and his car out of the ditch, but he was declared dead at the scene.
Satish Pal, Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Noida Authority, said an investigation is underway to determine responsibility.
Joint Commissioner of Police Rajeev Narain Mishra described the incident as “very tragic” and said the police stand with the victim’s family. He added that rescue efforts were initiated immediately with the help of fire brigade ladders, cranes, searchlights, and a makeshift boat, adding that visibility was near zero at the time.
Noida ACEO Satish Pal told ANI, “The services of a Junior Engineer have been terminated by the authorities. An explanation has been requested from him… Further investigation is underway.”
Protests After Accident
IANS reported on Sunday that the incident triggered protests from residents of the area, who claimed they had repeatedly requested the installation of reflectors and proper signage along the service road but received no response.
Protesters shouted slogans against local authorities and demanded immediate action.
(with agencies’ inputs)
