The deceased Noida techie Yuvraaj Mehta's close friend Pankaj Tokas claimed that Yuvraaj had told him that he wanted to leave India due to "lack of development, precaution and safety measures in the country." Pankaj said Mehta was outspoken about India’s lack of basic road safety and civic infrastructure.
27-year-old software engineer Yuvraaj Mehta's friend told Tokas, told NewLaundry reporter, that they talked frequently and Yuvraaj once told him on the chat that he wanted to settle in the UK as his sister already lives there.
Tokas rejected claims that speeding caused the crash, describing Mehta as a cautious driver who never used his phone while driving and slowed down significantly in fog. “If the car had been fast, it would have crossed the river,” he said. “No one here was able to save him.”
The tragic death of Yuvraj Mehta, a 27-year-old software engineer who drowned after his car plunged into a water-filled construction pit in Sector 150, has sparked a fierce debate over administrative negligence and the perceived failure of emergency services. Despite a 90-minute struggle for survival witnessed by his father and dozens of rescue personnel, Mehta succumbed to the freezing waters, leaving behind a family in mourning and a community demanding accountability.
Also Read | Noida Techie Death Case: NDRF Team Recovers Yuvraj Mehta’s Vehicle After Four Days.
The incident occurred around midnight on Friday as Mehta was returning home from his Gurugram office. Navigating through dense winter fog, his SUV crashed through a previously damaged boundary wall and plunged into a 30-foot-deep, waterlogged excavation site intended for a commercial mall.
Mehta, who could not swim, managed to climb onto the roof of his sinking vehicle. For nearly an hour and a half, he used his mobile phone’s torch to signal through the mist while pleading for help. His father, Rajkumar Mehta, arrived at the scene after receiving a frantic call and a WhatsApp location from his son. "He was calling out, 'Papa, save me... help me!'" his father recalled. "I saw the light of his phone, but I was stopped from jumping in myself."
While approximately 80 personnel from the local police, fire brigade, SDRF, and NDRF eventually gathered at the site, witnesses and family members allege that no proactive attempt was made to reach the stranded engineer during the critical window.
Rescue teams reportedly cited the extreme cold, near-zero visibility, and the presence of submerged iron rods as reasons for not entering the water. The only individual to attempt a rescue was a delivery worker, Moninder, who tied a rope to a boat and dove into the pit. However, by the time he reached the area, Mehta’s voice had fallen silent. The vehicle and Mehta's body were eventually recovered at 4:30 a.m.