The Uttar Pradesh government has removed Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M from his post following mounting public outrage and allegations of administrative negligence over the death of 27-year-old techie Yuvraj Mehta.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and ordered a high-level probe. Acting on his directions, the state constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by the Meerut Divisional Commissioner. The ADG of the Meerut Zone and the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) are members of the panel. The SIT has been asked to submit its report within five days.
What happened to Yuvraj Mehta
Yuvraj Mehta, a 27-year-old software professional, was just minutes away from his home when the fatal accident occurred. His SUV crashed through a damaged roadside barrier and plunged into a deep, waterlogged construction pit dug for an ongoing project in Noida.
Dense fog that night had severely reduced visibility, while the construction site reportedly lacked basic safety measures such as barricades, reflectors or warning lights. The spot had earlier been flagged as hazardous, but corrective action was allegedly not taken.
As the vehicle sank rapidly, Mehta—who reportedly did not know how to swim—managed to climb onto the roof of the submerged SUV. He repeatedly flashed his phone’s torch through the fog and shouted for help.
In a final phone call to his father, Mehta said, “Dad, I’m drowning, please come save me.” Rescue teams, however, failed to reach the spot in time, and he lost his life, triggering widespread anger and grief.
Political reaction and next steps
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed condolences to the family and blamed administrative negligence for the incident. In a post on X, he said the tragedy was preventable and occurred due to government failure.
The Uttar Pradesh government has said strict action will be taken against all those found responsible once the SIT submits its report, and accountability will be fixed for lapses that led to the fatal incident.
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