More than a month after software engineer Yuvraj Mehta died when his car plunged into a water-filled excavation pit in Sector 150, Noida, his father has moved to the United Kingdom with his daughter, saying he is still awaiting the findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was directed to submit its report within five days but has yet to make it public.
“I have shifted to the UK with my daughter for some time. There was no one to take care of me in Noida after my son’s death. I am waiting for the SIT findings. I want to thank the media for standing with us and continuing to seek justice for my son,” Raj Kumar Mehta, a retired State Bank of India employee, told this newspaper.
He added that he wished to express solidarity with other families affected by similar incidents. “I also want to share my condolences with the bereaved family members of Kamal Dhyani, Sahil, and many other innocent people who have lost their lives due to irresponsible surroundings,” he said.
Kamal, 25, was killed in Delhi’s Janakpuri after the motorbike he was riding fell into an uncovered pit dug by the Delhi Jal Board. Twenty-three-year-old Sahil Dhaneshra, who was on his way to work, was killed earlier this month after a Scorpio, allegedly driven by a minor, rammed his motorcycle head-on near Lal Bahadur Shastri College in Delhi.
Yuvraj Mehta, 27, died late on the night of 16 January after his vehicle fell into a deep, water-filled excavation pit in Sector 150. The pit, dug for construction work, had accumulated water and lacked adequate barricading and warning signs, according to investigative findings and administrative records. He remained trapped inside the submerged vehicle and died due to asphyxia and cardiac arrest, as confirmed by the post-mortem examination.
The incident prompted Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to order a high-level probe. On 19 January, the state government constituted a three-member SIT headed by Additional Director General of Police, Meerut Zone, Bhanu Bhaskar. The other members included Divisional Commissioner Bhanu Chandra Goswami and a Chief Engineer from the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department. The SIT was tasked with examining the circumstances leading to Mehta’s death and fixing accountability among civic officials, engineers, contractors and emergency responders.
The state government directed the SIT to submit its report within five days, setting a deadline of 24 January. However, more than 30 days later, the report has not been released publicly, and authorities have not clarified whether it has been submitted internally or remains pending.
The delay has raised concerns in administrative and political circles. There are reports that the Chief Minister is under pressure not to take action against certain officials whose roles are under scrutiny, and that this may be contributing to the delay in releasing the SIT findings. The state government has not officially commented on the reason for the delay.
Following the incident, the Uttar Pradesh government, in what was seen as a bid to assuage public anger, removed the Chief Executive Officer of the Noida Authority. Criminal cases were registered against private individuals linked to the excavation site and associated construction activity.