Noida Techie 'Struggled For 2 Hours, People Made Videos,' Says Father Junior Engineer Sacked After 27-Year Old Dies

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Noida Authority terminated the services of a junior engineer over the death of a 27-year-old software engineer whose car plunged into a water-filled pit at a construction site in Sector 150. Show-cause notices were also issued to other officials responsible for traffic-related works in the area.

According to news agency PTI, the authority said in an official statement Sunday night that its Chief Executive Officer, Lokesh M, ordered strict action in the case and directed the immediate termination of the services of junior engineer Naveen Kumar of the Noida Traffic Cell.

Moreover, show-cause notices were issued to other relevant officers and employees responsible for traffic management in and around Sector 150.

The CEO further sought detailed reports from the concerned departments regarding the allotment and construction activities of the developer, Lotus, and directed a review of safety-arrangements at the site, the statement stated, as per PTI.

The authority also stated that negligence of safety norms at construction sites would not be tolerated. It said all departments have been instructed to re-inspect safety measures at ongoing construction projects in their respective areas to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

What's the case?

The action comes amid allegations of negligence and delay in rescue efforts following the death of software engineer Yuvraj Mehta, whose car fell into an over 20-feet-deep, water-filled pit dug for the basement of an under-construction building in Sector 150 in the early hours of Saturday.

The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Knowledge Park Police Station on the night of January 16-17. It happened when the car broke through the boundary of a drain at the Sector 150 intersection and fell into the water.

The deceased was identified as Yuvraj, a resident of Sector-150, Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar.

Police said Mehta, who worked with a Gurugram-based company, was returning home from work when the accident occurred amid dense fog.

Mehta's body was recovered after a search operation involving teams from the fire department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local police.

An eyewitness, a delivery agent, claimed that rescue efforts were delayed and suggested that Mehta could have survived if action had been taken more promptly.

According to India Today, investigations revealed a total lack of reflectors and warning signs at the mishap site.

Residents staged protests, alleging inadequate barricading and a lack of reflectors at the accident-prone site.

Police lodged an FIR against two real estate developers on a complaint by the victim's family, while denying negligence in the rescue operation.

Following protests, the Noida Authority has installed barricades at the spot.

'My son struggled for 2 hours'

Mehta's family alleged gross administrative negligence, claiming that timely intervention could have saved his life as he struggled for two hours.

The victim's father, Rajkumar Mehta, told ANI, "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 officials and staff present were unable to save him. They did not have any divers. There is negligence on the part of the administration in this entire matter," Rajkumar Mehta alleged, demanding strict action and improved safety arrangements to prevent such incidents in the future.

However, Joint Commissioner of Police Rajeev Narain Mishra told ANI that rescue efforts were initiated immediately with the help of fire brigade ladders, cranes, searchlights and a makeshift boat, adding that visibility was near zero at the time.

He described the incident as "very tragic" and told ANI that the police stand with the victim's family.

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