Noida, July 13 (IANS) Nearly six months after the death of 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta in Noida’s Sector 150, his father, Rajkumar Mehta, has said he no longer believes justice will be delivered in the case.
While expressing disappointment over the lack of action despite an inquiry, he said he is not in a position to pursue legal proceedings independently and, therefore, will not approach the court.
Yuvraj Mehta died on January 17, after his SUV plunged into an unguarded, water-filled construction trench in Noida’s Sector 150 during dense fog.
Although he managed to climb onto the roof of his vehicle and called for help, delays in the emergency response allegedly prevented his rescue, and he eventually drowned.
Rajkumar Mehta said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to probe the incident and that the inquiry was completed promptly. However, he alleged that despite the report being submitted nearly six months ago, no meaningful action had followed against those responsible.
He also said that he is unable to fight a legal battle on his own and, for that reason, will not move the courts. Instead, he urged the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure accountability so that no other family has to endure a similar tragedy in the future.
Speaking to IANS, Mehta said, “The SIT conducted its investigation and submitted its report to the Secretary with great speed. We had high hopes that action would be taken; seeing the officials responsible for the negligence punished would offer us some mental solace regarding the loss of our son’s life. Even if some action was initially taken against the negligent officials, it was revoked, and they were reinstated.”
He said the developments after the inquiry had left him deeply disappointed.
“There was no clarity; no message went out to the public that those responsible for the negligence had been punished. It has been nearly six months now, and I no longer hold out any hope,” he added.
Highlighting what he believes were the major lapses that led to the tragedy, Mehta pointed to three specific issues that, according to him, contributed to his son’s death and reflected serious negligence on the part of those responsible.
“First, whoever dug that pit failed to put any protective measures in place around it. Secondly, the authorities failed to implement any safety or traffic measures at that turning; there was no indication of the pit’s existence, so any stranger could have easily fallen into it. Furthermore, when we called the rescue team via the 112 helpline, they showed no real urgency and turned back halfway; they provided neither a life jacket nor a rope for support, and my son drowned,” he said.
Recalling the desperate moments before his son’s death, Mehta said, “This happened despite him struggling and calling out for help for an hour and a half. Had action been taken, it would have sent a message to society that those guilty of dereliction of duty were being punished. But nothing of the sort happened; life is simply going on as usual.”
He further questioned the outcome of the inquiry, alleging that while the SIT was formed to address public concern after the incident, its findings did not translate into concrete action.
“While an SIT investigation was conducted, no actual action followed; it was an SIT report without any subsequent action; that is the reality. As I mentioned at the very beginning, there are no protective measures in place for potholes or similar hazards; such negligence continues to grow, so incidents will keep happening, and the outcome will be the same as it was in my case,” he added.
“I can’t approach the judiciary, so I won’t take any step regarding that. However, I do hope that the Uttar Pradesh government takes strict action against those found responsible,” Mehta said.
Rajkumar Mehta reiterated that his appeal is not limited to seeking accountability in his son’s case alone. He said he hopes the state government takes strict action against those found responsible so that better safety measures are enforced, and similar incidents can be prevented from claiming more lives in the future.
This also comes against the backdrop of another engineer, Aryan, who died last week after falling into a drain in Noida’s Sector 57 while he was on his way to work in Sector 58.
–IANS
sd/skp
