Daijiworld Media Network – Noida
Noida, Jan 20: Police on Tuesday arrested a real estate developer in connection with the death of a software professional whose car plunged into a deep, water-filled pit at a construction site in Noida’s Sector 150 earlier this month, officials said.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Hemant Upadhyay said Abhay Kumar, an official of MZ Wiztown Planners and one of the accused in the case, has been taken into custody. Police confirmed that Kumar is among the owners of Wishtown Planners Pvt Ltd. There has been no official update so far on action against the other accused firm.
An FIR has been registered against two real estate developers — MZ Wiztown Planners and Lotus Greens — based on a complaint filed by the victim’s father, Raj Kumar Mehta. In his complaint, Mehta alleged negligence by the developers and local authorities and demanded accountability for the incident.
According to media reports, the post-mortem examination revealed that the victim’s nose was blocked with mud and water, and water was found in his lungs and chest. The autopsy reportedly cited the cause of death as asphyxia due to ante-mortem drowning, followed by cardiac arrest.
The deceased, identified as Yuvraj Mehta, was returning to his residence at Tata Eureka Park in Sector 150 from his office in Gurugram late on January 16. Due to dense winter fog that reduced visibility to near zero, his Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara veered off the road and fell into a deep excavation pit filled with water on a vacant plot.
Taking serious note of the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday ordered a probe by a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) and directed it to submit a detailed report within five days.
The victim’s family has alleged grave administrative lapses. Raj Kumar Mehta told reporters that the absence of trained divers at the site cost his son 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,” he said.
Recalling the incident, Mehta said his son struggled for nearly two hours to save himself. “He was crying for help and asking people to rescue him, but most of the crowd was just watching. Some people were even making videos,” he alleged, demanding strict action against those responsible and better safety measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.