A 27-year-old software engineer, Yuvraj Mehta, died after his car plunged into a water-filled excavation pit in Greater Noida's Sector 150 amid dense fog, with rescue efforts hampered by delays and inadequate equipment. Family and eyewitnesses have questioned the lack of road safety measures and official indifference. An FIR has been filed against two real estate developers following the incident.
In the early hours of January 18, 2026, Yuvraj Mehta was driving home from Gurugram to Noida when his Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara lost control in dense fog at a sharp 90-degree turn. The vehicle smashed through a low boundary wall and plunged into an open, waterlogged excavation pit on a commercial plot in Sector 150, Greater Noida. Mehta climbed onto the partially submerged car's roof, called his father, and pleaded for help for nearly 90 minutes.
Eyewitness Moninder, a Flipkart delivery agent, jumped into the water to search for him but failed due to protruding iron rods and freezing conditions. Police, fire services, SDRF, and NDRF arrived, yet the rescue faltered as ropes were too short, cranes couldn't reach, and teams lacked water safety gear. ACP Hemant Upadhyay stated, "No one entered the water fearing more casualties without safety measures."
The autopsy revealed death by asphyxia from ante-mortem drowning followed by cardiac arrest, with mud clogging Mehta's nose and water in his lungs and chest. The family noted Yuvraj, who lost his mother two years ago, was the sole breadwinner and preparing for marriage. This was not the first incident; a truck fell into the same pit two weeks earlier, rescued by Moninder, yet Noida Authority took no action.
An FIR was filed under BNS 2023 sections against MZ Wiztown Planners and Lotus Greens Construction for negligence. Developers denied responsibility, claiming the plot was transferred in 2019-20 with authority approval and construction stalled. SHO Sarvesh Singh said poor visibility and suspected hazards deterred entry, but they did all possible.
On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh government removed Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M and formed an SIT led by ADG Bhanu Bhaskar to probe, with a report due in five days to CM Yogi Adityanath. DCP Manisha Singh noted no prior complaints on signage or barricades. The UP irrigation department and Noida Authority blamed each other for delayed water management.
