The death case of Noida technician Yuvraj Mehta that shocked Delhi-NCR highlights the failure of rescue work, lack of road safety measures and negligence at the construction site. Allegations of negligence against the construction companies involved are under investigation. Since his death on January 18, several shocking revelations have emerged in the case.
- A police officer involved in the rescue operation said the ropes thrown into the six- to seven-foot-wide trench were insufficient. He claimed that ladders and cranes could not bridge the distance between the road and the pit and fog delayed the arrival of rescue teams. Yuvraj waited for help for almost 90 minutes until the vehicle was finally engulfed in the deadly waters.
- The FIR filed by Yuvraj’s father alleged that the residents of Sector 150 had requested the Noida authority to install barricades and floodlights near the drain, but no action was taken. A case of culpable homicide has been registered against two construction firms, Lotus Greens Construction Pvt Ltd and MZ Wiztown Planners Pvt Ltd, under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 106 (causing death by negligence) and 125 (act endangering life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
- On Tuesday, Knowledge Park police arrested Abhay Kumar, a builder and owner of real estate firm MZ Wiztown Planners Ltd of Noida’s Sector-150, in connection with the case.
- On the same day, a team from the National Disaster Response Force visited the site to retrieve the car. A three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on 20 January to investigate the circumstances leading to Yuvraj’s death.
Deliveryman Moninder alleged that police officials forced him to give a statement in favor of the police and threatened him for speaking to the media. Monider said, “They also verbally gave me a script and shot a video. As I was scared, I said ‘okay’ and agreed to follow the instructions, but decided that I am the only eyewitness in the case and will stand for the truth,” Hindustan Times reported.
