Noida Techie Death: Two Plot Shareholders Arrested in Tragic Drowning Case
The Greater Noida Police have intensified their investigation into the tragic death of software engineer Yuvraj Mehta, arresting two additional shareholders of the water-filled plot where the 27-year-old drowned after his car plunged into it. This development comes as authorities expand their probe into the circumstances surrounding the heartbreaking incident that has shocked the Noida community.
Latest Arrests in the Ongoing Investigation
On Thursday, police officials apprehended Ravi Bansal, a resident of Sector 21D in Faridabad, Haryana, and Sachin Karanwal, who resides in Shalimar Garden, Ghaziabad. Both individuals have been identified as office bearers at Lotus Greens Pvt Ltd and hold shares in the controversial Sector 150 plot that became the site of the tragedy.
"Bansal and Karanwal are significant figures in this case as they hold direct stakes in the property," revealed a police official involved in the investigation. "We currently have four dedicated teams working round the clock to apprehend all suspects named in the Yuvraj Mehta death case, and we anticipate further arrests in the coming days."
Expanding Legal Action Against Responsible Parties
In a parallel legal move, the Noida police filed another comprehensive First Information Report on Thursday, invoking multiple environmental and criminal statutes. The new FIR includes charges under:
- Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
- Sections 24 and 43 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
- Sections 290, 270, and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)
These charges have been filed against five shareholders of the plot, including MZ Wiztown promoter Abhay Kumar, who was previously arrested on Tuesday and subsequently remanded to six days of judicial custody on Wednesday following court directives to investigate drainage lapses.
Tragic Details of the Incident Emerge
The FIR provides disturbing details about the hazardous conditions at the site, stating: "I found that near the public road, a very long and wide pit has been dug, which appears to have been excavated using large heavy machines. This pit has been filled with water for several years, and its depth is also very huge."
Yuvraj Mehta, a resident of Tata Eureka in Sector 150, met his tragic end in the early hours of Saturday while returning home from his office in Gurugram. According to preliminary investigations, dense fog conditions caused him to lose control of his vehicle at a sharp 90-degree turn, where his car broke through a low boundary and plunged into the deep, waterlogged excavation pit.
Failed Rescue Attempts and Corporate Responses
Eyewitness accounts and investigation reports reveal that Mehta managed to climb onto the roof of his partially submerged car and called his father for help. Despite the rapid arrival of police, firefighters, and teams from both the State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force, rescue efforts proved unsuccessful.
The young software engineer remained trapped for approximately 90 minutes, desperately calling for assistance as his vehicle gradually sank deeper into the water-filled pit. By the time rescuers could extract him, he had tragically succumbed to the circumstances.
In response to the incident, Lotus Greens issued a statement condemning the tragedy but denying responsibility, claiming the plot had been transferred to another party with the Noida Authority's approval back in 2019-20. Meanwhile, the promoter of MZ Wiztown Planners stated that he received the land "in an excavated condition" and had not been granted permission to commence any project at the location.
Multiple FIRs and Ongoing Legal Proceedings
Earlier in the week, on Monday, police had already filed a separate case against both MZ Wiztown and Lotus Greens, charging them with culpable homicide, causing death by negligence, and acts endangering human life. This initial FIR was registered against the two real estate development companies, setting the stage for the expanded investigation that has now led to additional arrests.
The case continues to develop as authorities work to establish full accountability for the hazardous conditions that led to this preventable tragedy, with police indicating that their investigation remains active and further legal actions are anticipated.
