Six months after 26-year-old Yuvraj Mehta drowned in a water-filled pit in Noida Sector 150, his father has urged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take strict action against the officials responsible for Yuvraj’s death.
Yuvraj died on the intervening night of January 16-17 after he lost control of his car and crashed into a water-filled pothole in Noida.
His father, Rajkumar Mehta, said no meaningful action had been taken even after all these months. He was speaking to reporters upon his return from the United Kingdom. Rajkumar left India soon after his son’s death and was living with his daughter in London.
“The SIT has submitted its report, but it has not been made public. The suspended officials have been reinstated, and the construction workers have also been released on bail. I have no idea what action has been taken on the basis of the SIT report. I still hope that the government will take strict and decisive action in this case,” PTI quoted him as saying.
Rajkumar claimed that his son was on board the plane The roof of the sunken car remained for about an hour and a half calling for help, but rescue teams failed to reach the scene in time. He also claimed that there were no barriers, warning signs or basic rescue equipment, such as life jackets, at the accident site.
“I just want to make sure that no other family experiences such a tragedy in the future,” Mehta said.
Rajkumar Mehta said he recently visited the place where his son died, but was unable to stay there for long due to the emotional trauma.
Yuvraj Mehta case
Yuvraj Mehta was driving home Noida around midnight on January 16 in thick winter fog when his car hit a low wall and fell into a deep ditch filled with water. The site was reportedly excavated a few years ago before work stopped.
Mehta, who did not know how to swim, climbed onto the roof of his car when it began to sink and called his father, who rushed to the scene and notified emergency services.
Mehta stayed there for about two hours, lit the phone’s torch and shouted for help, his father told reporters at the time. Then he fell silent, as his father said.
By the time the authorities recovered his body, several hours had passed since the accident. HT reported at the time.
The fact that Mehta’s tragic death occurred so close to the national capital has shocked and angered residents. Protests broke out at the site of the accident, and demonstrators accused the authorities of negligence and demanded accountability.
