After the tragic drowning of 27-year-old Yuvraj Mehta in a deep ditch in Noida’s Sector 150, his family has now revealed some shocking details claiming that the police and rescue teams reached the spot, but failed to act in time, reported The Indian Express. Following the incident, the police have filed an FIR against two real estate firms, accusing them of negligence and culpable homicide.
Mehta, who lived in Noida and worked in Gurgaon, allegedly drove his car off a dark road and through a broken boundary wall into a ditch that was tens of feet deep around 12:30 am on Saturday, in dense fog. According to his family, Mehta climbed out of the partially submerged car and stood on its roof, screaming for help for nearly two hours. Although his voice was heard, he was not visible in the fog. His father, Raj Mehta, claimed that police had reached the spot but refused to enter the water, allegedly citing safety concerns and that they could not swim, the IE report mentioned.
Family alleges negligence
Speaking to the news agency ANI, father of the deceased, Rajkumar Mehta, said, “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”.
Adding to it he mentioned that, “My son struggled for 2 hours to save his life. The officials and staff present there were not capable of saving him. They did not have any divers. There is negligence by the administration in this entire matter”.
#WATCH | Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh: Father of the deceased, Rajkumar Mehta, says, "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… https://t.co/rsVsq1BaZa pic.twitter.com/vpfJ80ijGF
— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2026
Witnesses said that the police and rescuers allegedly heard his screams but did not act, the report added. Police have registered an FIR against two real estate companies for negligence and culpable homicide. Residents also pointed out that the area lacked basic road safety, including street lights, barricades, and reflectors, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Noida authority fires junior engineer
Noida authority has fired a junior engineer and issued show-cause notices to other officials who were responsible for traffic work in the area. In a statement released on Sunday night, the authority said its CEO, Lokesh M, ordered strict action in the matter and immediately removed junior engineer Naveen Kumar from the Noida Traffic Cell, according to a PTI report.
Show-cause notices have also been sent to other officers and staff in charge of traffic management in and around Sector 150. The CEO has also asked all concerned departments to submit detailed reports on the land allotment and construction activities of developer Lotus and has ordered a review of safety measures at the site, the report mentioned.
What caused the car to fall into the ditch?
Yuvraj’s father in his complaint to the Police said that poor visibility and the damaged boundary wall caused the car to fall into the ditch. He also said that local residents had previously asked the Noida Authority to barricade the drain and install reflectors, but no action had been taken.
Residents complained about poor safety. Kamini, from Samridhi Luxuriya Avenue in Sector 150 told IE, “We have never had street lights in this area. We lack basic facilities.”
“Even when the SDRF team reached, they kept saying that they did not know how to swim. The person died, flashing his phone light. There have been so many complaints but no action has been taken,” Another resident told IE.
Calling the incident “very tragic,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajeev Mishra said the local police, along with the Fire Brigade, had taken “swift action” using ladders, cranes, searchlights, and a makeshift boat, reported IE.
“The final rescue was ensured with the involvement of the SDRF (State Disaster Response Force). There was zero visibility at the time of the incident. Based on the written complaint filed by the victim’s family, a case has been registered. Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty,” Mishra told IE.
FIR against real estate companies
A case had been filed against two real estate companies under Sections 105, 106, and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), covering culpable homicide, death by negligence and endangering life and personal safety, the news outlet reported citing Circle Officer Hemant Upadhyay. “The car is yet to be recovered,” he said.
A spokesperson for Lotus Greens, one of the companies named, said the company was not responsible as it no longer owned the plot. “Being a responsible company, we fully condemn this incident. But unfortunately, Lotus Greens has no role to play because the said plot was transferred in 2019-20 to… [another company] with the approval of Noida Authority. We understand the family’s pain and we are standing with them in getting justice,” the statement said.