LUCKNOW: Taking cognisance of the tragic death of 27-year-old techie Yuvraj Mehta in Noida on January 16, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday ordered a probe by a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) and directed it to submit a comprehensive report within five days.
The SIT will be headed by the Additional Director General of Police, Meerut zone, with the Divisional Commissioner, Meerut, and the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department as members. Officials said the team has been mandated to examine all the circumstances that led to the tragedy and complete the investigation within the stipulated timeframe.
Earlier, taking action against the authorities concerned, the state government removed Noida Authority Chief Executive Officer M Lokesh, an IAS officer of the 2005 batch of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, and placed him on the waiting list.
Mehta lost his life after his car fell into a ditch on a fog-shrouded road in Sector 150, Noida. The autopsy report said he suffered asphyxia due to ante-mortem drowning, followed by cardiac arrest.
Mehta was returning to his residence at Tata Eureka Park in Sector 150 from his Gurugram office late on January 16. Amid dense winter fog that reduced visibility to near zero, his Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara veered off the road and plunged into a deep, water-filled excavation pit on a vacant plot.
According to local sources, the victim fell into the pit due to the dense fog and could not be rescued despite the police arriving at the site. His father subsequently submitted a police complaint alleging that residents of Sector 150 had repeatedly requested the Noida Authority to install barricades and reflectors near the drain, but no action was taken. On the basis of the complaint, an FIR was lodged.
The family alleged serious administrative lapses, saying the “lack of divers” cost Yuvraj 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,” the victim’s father told media persons.
“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,” he recalled, demanding strict action and better safety arrangements to prevent similar incidents.
However, police authorities said the boundary wall of the water pit was damaged in parts. It was, however, unclear how the car plunged into the basement and became fully submerged. Police said they made every possible effort to save Mehta, but the rescue became difficult due to the depth of the water, darkness and dense fog.
According to Hemant Upadhyay, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Greater Noida, there could have been more casualties if someone had entered the water to rescue him. Similarly, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajeev Narayan Mishra said rescue teams from the police and fire department made sustained efforts but were hampered by near-zero visibility.