Six months after 26-year-old Yuvraj Mehta drowned in a water-filled pit in Noida Sector 150, his father urged Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to take stringent action against the officials responsible for Yuvraj's death.
Yuvraj died on the intervening night of January 16 and 17 after he reportedly lost control of his car and drove into a water-filled pit in Noida.
His father, Rajkumar Mehta, said no meaningful action has been taken even after all these months. He was speaking to reporters upon his return from the United Kingdom. Rajkumar left India soon after his son's death and was living with his daughter in London.
"The SIT has submitted its report, but it has not been made public. The officials who were suspended have been reinstated, and the builders are also out on bail. I have no idea what action has been taken on the basis of the SIT report. I still hope the government will take stern and decisive action in this case," he was quoted by PTI as saying.
Rajkumar claimed that his son was on the roof of the submerged car for nearly one-and-a-half hours, pleading for help, but rescue teams failed to reach the spot in time. He also alleged that there were no barricades, warning signs or basic rescue equipment, such as life jackets, at the accident site.
{{/usCountry}}Rajkumar claimed that his son was on the roof of the submerged car for nearly one-and-a-half hours, pleading for help, but rescue teams failed to reach the spot in time. He also alleged that there were no barricades, warning signs or basic rescue equipment, such as life jackets, at the accident site.
{{/usCountry}}"I only want to ensure that no other family has to suffer such a tragedy in future," Mehta said.
Rajkumar Mehta said he recently visited the spot where his son had died, but could not stay there for long because of emotional trauma.
The Yuvraj Mehta case
Yuvraj Mehta was driving home in Noida around midnight on January 16 through dense winter fog when his car reportedly hit a low boundary wall and plunged into a deep, water-filled pit. The site had reportedly been dug up a few years ago before work was stalled.
Mehta, who didn't know how to swim, climbed onto the roof of his car as it began to sink and rang his father, who rushed to the scene and alerted the emergency services.
His father told reporters at the time that Mehta remained there for close to two hours, flashing the phone's torch and shouting for help. He then went silent, his father said.
By the time authorities recovered his body, many hours had passed since the accident, HT had reported at the time.
The fact that Mehta's tragic death happened so close to the national capital shocked and angered residents. Protests erupted at the accident site, with demonstrators accusing authorities of negligence and demanding accountability.