Deadly Oversight: Builders Face Culpable Homicide Case, Official Sacked in Noida, Key highlights of the incident:
- Fatal Accident: A 27-year-old software engineer, Yuvraj Mehta, died after his car fell into a 50-ft water-filled excavation pit in Sector 150, Noida, amid dense fog and poor visibility.
- Criminal Action: Noida Police registered an FIR for culpable homicide and negligence against MZ Wiztown Planners Ltd and Lotus Greens Construction Pvt Ltd, owners of the plot.
- Administrative Action: The Noida Authority terminated a junior engineer and issued show-cause notices to officials responsible for traffic and safety oversight in the area.
- Safety Lapses Alleged: The site allegedly lacked barricades, reflectors, warning signs, and safeguards, while rescue efforts were hampered by fog, darkness, and access challenges.
- Ongoing Investigation: A joint police–administration inquiry is underway to determine responsibility for site safety, road management, and supervisory lapses, with temporary barricades now installed.
The Noida police registered a case of culpable homicide against two real estate companies, while the Noida Authority terminated the services of a junior engineer, a day after a 27-year-old software engineer drowned after his car fell into a water-filled excavation pit on a vacant plot in Sector 150, officials said.
The victim, Yuvraj Mehta, was returning to his home in Tata Eureka Park from his office in Gurugram. As the police and the first information report (FIR) state, Mehta, in his Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, deviated from the road at a place where there was fog, crossed the drain, and struck an excavation pit, which was 50 feet deep and filled with water. Additionally, there were no barricades, reflectors, or road signs to warn people.
According to the victim’s family, Yuvraj remained trapped inside the submerged car for nearly two hours, repeatedly crying for help. They alleged that officials at the scene lacked basic rescue equipment, including trained divers, while many bystanders merely watched and recorded videos. The incident has triggered widespread outrage, raising serious concerns over civic negligence, infrastructure safety, and emergency response preparedness.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Hemant Upadhyay said the case was registered on the complaint of the victim’s father. “On the complaint of the deceased’s father, 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 two builders who own the plot,” he said a per HT report.
Additional commissioner of police (Gautam Budh Nagar) Rajeev Narayan Mishra confirmed that the FIR named two firms. “A case has been registered against the two firms that own the plot – MZ Wiztown Planners Ltd and Lotus Greens Construction Pvt Ltd – as the incident took place on their land. Investigation is underway to identify any lapses.”
In parallel administrative action, the Noida Authority terminated the services of a junior engineer from the Noida Traffic Cell and issued show-cause notices to officers and staff responsible for traffic-related work in the Sector 150 area. Officials said the action followed a preliminary assessment of supervisory and safety lapses at the site.
The rescue operation took close to two hours to complete under very difficult conditions. According to police, after the car fell in the pit, Mehta was able to go out on the roof of the half, submerged car and call his father who immediately came and called the emergency to help.
The local police, fire brigade, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams responded. However, darkness, heavy fog, and the distance of the pit from the road made the rescue operation difficult.
A police officer who was part of the operation said that they had to make many attempts to reach the victim but each one failed. Ropes that were thrown towards him were too short while ladders and a crane used by firefighters were not able to connect the road and the pit. Mehta was on top of the car for almost 90 minutes as the water level kept rising.
“Due to dense fog, the NDRF took time to reach from Ghaziabad. Eventually, his body was recovered using a boat,” the officer said. Although streetlights were there along the road, the visibility was very low because of the dense fog, the officials said.
At first glance, it is only natural to think that Mehta was driving at a very high speed, said ACP Upadhyay, who added that the investigators are looking at the CCTV footage and the vehicle data as part of the investigation.
The Noida Authority officials, who did not want to be named, said that the main reasons that caused the accident were speeding and very low visibility, however, the administrative action taken indicates acknowledgment of possible systemic and supervisory lapses.
The police said that a meeting for coordination has been scheduled with the Noida Authority in order to deal with the safety issues in the region. The temporary barricades have now been installed at the turn near the excavation site. The two firms named in the FIR offered differing accounts regarding responsibility for the land.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Lotus Greens said, Lotus Greens has no role to play in the incident because the said plot was transferred in 2019-20… with the approval of Noida authority. We understand the family’s pain and we are standing with them in getting justice.”
Abhay Kumar, promoter of MZ Wiztown Planners, claimed that the land was already excavated when it was handed over to his firm and that he was never granted permission to begin construction. He also said ownership and control of the land were disputed. “It is completely a case of an accident and an unfortunate incident,” Kumar said, adding that he had earlier complained to the Authority about broken drainage lines that led to waterlogging at the site.
Police said responsibility for securing the excavation pit, installing barricades, and ensuring adequate warnings will be examined during the investigation, along with the role of civic authorities tasked with road safety and traffic management in the rapidly developing Sector 150 area.
Latest update; UP Govt Removes Noida CEO, Forms SIT to Probe Incident
The government of Uttar Pradesh has set up a three, member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the killing of 27, year, old techie. According to the order of CM Yogi Adityanath, the SIT, led by ADG of Meerut Zone and having the Divisional Commissioner, Meerut, and the Chief Engineer of PWD as members, has been given the task to submit the report within five days.
Alongside this, the state government took a swift administrative step in which it dismissed Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M and the Managing Director of the Noida Metro Rail Corporation from their official positions.
Key developments:
- A three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under the leadership of the ADG, Meerut Zone
- The SIT also includes the Divisional Commissioner, Meerut, and the Chief Engineer, PWD
- The panel has been directed to submit its report within five days
- Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M and the MD of Noida Metro Rail Corporation have been removed from their posts
