A 27-year-old man died after his car plunged into a drain near Sector 150 in Greater Noida on the night of January 16-17, prompting allegations of administrative negligence from the victim’s family. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Knowledge Park Police Station.
The victim has been identified as Yuvraj, a resident of Sector 150, Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar. His body was recovered following a search operation conducted by SDRF and NDRF teams and has been sent for post-mortem examination.
Speaking to the reporters, Yuvraj’s father, Rajkumar Mehta, said his son struggled in the water for nearly two hours.
“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,” he alleged, demanding strict action and improved safety arrangements to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Joint Commissioner of Police Rajeev Narain Mishra described the incident as “very tragic” and said the police stand with the victim’s family. He added that rescue efforts were initiated immediately using fire brigade ladders, cranes, searchlights, and a makeshift boat, noting that visibility was near zero at the time.
Satish Pal, Additional Chief Executive Officer of the Noida Authority, said an investigation is underway to determine responsibility. “The investigation will reveal whose land it was, to whom it was allotted, and who was responsible for its maintenance. That road is in an area that is not yet a fully developed sector,” he said, assuring action once the inquiry is completed.
According to police, the accident occurred when Yuvraj’s car broke through the boundary of a drain at the Sector 150 intersection and fell into the water.