Techie’s death sparks action as Noida Authority CEO removed, SIT ordered

Days after a 27-year-old techie drowned to death in Noida after his car plunged into an open, water-filled drain, the Uttar Pradesh government has moved swiftly, removing Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M and ordering a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the incident.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on January 19 directed the constitution of a three-member SIT to investigate the circumstances that led to the death of Yuvraj Mehta in Sector 150. Lokesh M has been placed on the “waitlist”, signalling administrative accountability as public outrage mounts.

According to a senior official, the SIT will be headed by the Additional Director General (ADG) of the Meerut Zone, with the Meerut divisional commissioner and the chief engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) as members. The panel has been asked to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit its report to the chief minister within five days.

The tragedy unfolded around 12.30 am on January 17 when Mehta, a Noida-based techie working for a private firm in Gurugram, was returning home. His car allegedly breached a damaged boundary wall and fell into a drain at a construction site.

Despite managing to escape the vehicle and climb onto its roof, Mehta remained trapped in the icy water for nearly two hours, repeatedly crying out for help. Family members and witnesses have alleged that police personnel present at the spot failed to act decisively.

In his police complaint, Mehta’s father Raj Mehta said poor visibility due to dense fog and a broken boundary wall near the drain contributed to the accident. “The visibility was extremely low, and the wall was already damaged,” he stated.

After falling into the drain, Mehta called his father from the roof of his partially submerged car, his friend Pankaj Tokas said.

A passerby who entered the drain around 1.45 am in an attempt to locate the techie squarely blamed the administration. “He kept pleading for help. But the officials kept saying the water was too cold or that there might be iron rods inside. None of them jumped in to save him,” Moninder said.

The SIT probe is expected to examine lapses in civic safety, emergency response failures and the role of officials on duty as the state faces growing questions over accountability and urban infrastructure negligence.