Noida: People at the scene recorded videos instead of helping as 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta struggled for nearly two hours after his SUV fell into a water-filled excavation pit in Greater Noida, his father has alleged, accusing authorities and bystanders of grave negligence, reported Hindustan Times.
According to Yuvraj’s father, Rajkumar Mehta, his son remained alive for a long time after the accident, crying out for help and using his phone’s torch to signal those gathered near the pit. He alleged that despite a crowd being present, no immediate rescue effort was made and several people chose to film the incident rather than attempt to save him.
The incident occurred late on the night of January 16–17 near a construction site in the Sector 150 area, where a deep pit dug for development work had filled with water. The family has claimed that the pit was inadequately barricaded and poorly marked, making it a serious hazard for motorists.
“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 father told ANI.
Rajkumar Mehta further alleged that there were no trained divers, boats or proper rescue equipment available at the site for a long time. He said the delay and lack of preparedness cost his son his life.
Police and district officials, however, have denied allegations of negligence. They have stated that emergency teams, including police, fire services and disaster response personnel, reached the spot and carried out rescue efforts, but dense fog and low visibility hampered operations.
Following the incident, an FIR has been registered against two builders based on the family’s complaint, citing alleged lapses in safety measures at the construction site. Administrative action has also been initiated against officials responsible for monitoring safety in the area.
Meanwhile, in an official statement on Sunday (January 18, 2026) night, the authority said its Chief Executive Officer, Lokesh. M, has ordered strict action in the case and directed the immediate termination of the services of junior engineer Naveen Kumar of the Noida Traffic Cell. Additionally, show-cause notices had been issued to other relevant officers and employees responsible for traffic management in and around Sector 150, reported the Hindu.
