Junior Engineer Sacked After Techie Drowns In Noida Ditch, Sector-150 Staff Get Show-Cause Notices

New Delhi: In the latest development in Noida techie Yuvraj Mehta's death case, a junior engineer within the Noida Traffic Cell- Naveen Kumar- has been sacked by the Noida authority with immediate effect on Sunday.

In tandem with these personnel changes, show-cause notices have been issued to the concerned officers and employees responsible for traffic-related work in sector-150 after a 27-year-old software engineer drowned after his SUV broke through a damaged boundary wall and plunged into it around Friday night.

Case of culpable homicide

A case of culpable homicide has also been lodged against two real estate companies after the victim's father Rajkumar Mehta lodged a complaint with Knowlege Park police after his son's death.

As per the Assistant commissioner of police Hemant Upadhyay, a case at Knowledge Park police station under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 106 (causing death by negligence) and 125 (act endangering life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was lodged against MZ Wishtown Planners Pvt Ltd and Lotus Greens Construction Pvt Ltd.

What the FIR said

As per the FIR, "there was no barricading reflector around the plot, which caused the incident. There was serious negligence on the part of the builders".

What was the incident?

The tragic incident involving the 27-year-old techie occurred around around 12.30 am when he was just 500 metres away from his residence in Greater Noida sector 150.

The victim was negotiating a sharp turn near ATS Le Grandiose however, amid the thick fog and poor lighting, his Grand Vitara crashed past the damaged wall and fell into the pit, which had around 30 feet of water.

Mehta, who did not know how to swim, managed to get out of the vehicle and climbed atop to scream for help. He even flashed his phone's torch in order to be rescued, however all in vain.

The victim dialed his father Raj Mehta and apprised him about the case following which he immediately rushed to the spot. Amid the fog, those at the edge of the pit could hear Mehta's cries but struggled to locate him.

Fog obscured view

A senior official involved in the rescue stated that fog obstructed their rescue mission and all they could "not see even 10 metres."

Reportedly, the cops at the site first tried to reach Yuvraj by throwing a rope while SDRF and NDRF teams were on the way, but it did not reach close enough. Firefighters then attempted to extend help using a crane, which also fell short. Ladders followed, but distance remained too long.

Mehta's cries fell silent by around 1.45am - an hour and and half after he fell into the pit. By the time his body was recovered, it was 4.30 am.

Delivery boy jumped for help

Moninder, an online delivery worker who was passing by and jumped into the freezing water around 1.45am after hearing Mehta's cries, accused the administration of a delayed response. "Yuvraj kept pleading for help. The administration is esponsible for his death," he alleged, adding that he spent nearly 30 minutes in the water searching but could not locate him. 

As per the residents, the pit had been excavated nearly two years ago for a mall project and left uncovered, with sewage discharged from nearby societies accumulating there because of restrictions on releasing water into the Hindon.

Also Read: Screaming For Help, 27-Year-Old Techie Dies After Car Falls Into Noida Mall-Site Pit Amid Dense Fog; Family Alleges Negligence