Techie drowning in Greater Noida: Autopsy confirms asphyxiation, cardiac failure

The post-mortem examination of 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta, who drowned after his SUV plunged into a water-filled pit in Sector 150 of Greater Noida, has confirmed that the cause of death was asphyxiation and cardiac failure, officials said.

Mehta was trapped in the deep water for nearly 90 minutes on a fog-laden night as he struggled to survive. He reportedly managed to climb onto the roof of his sinking vehicle, repeatedly flashed his mobile phone’s torch and made a distress call to his father in an attempt to draw attention and seek help.

An FIR has been registered against the builders responsible for the open pit, citing gross negligence, including the absence of proper barricading, reflectors and fencing at the site.

Show-cause notices have also been issued to officials and employees responsible for traffic management in and around Sector 150.

The accident occurred around 12.30 am on the intervening night of January 16 and 17. Mehta, a resident of Sector 150, was driving home amid dense fog and poor visibility when his Grand Vitara reportedly crashed through a damaged boundary wall near ATS Le Grandiose and fell into a pit nearly 30 feet deep.

Although the police, the fire brigade, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) coordinated rescue operations soon after the incident was reported, the efforts were severely hampered by near-zero visibility, the depth of the water and inadequate equipment.

A delivery worker who reached the spot reportedly jumped into the freezing water in a desperate bid to save Mehta but was unable to locate him. The body was recovered around 4.30 am, by which time Mehta had been submerged for over an hour and a half.

Residents and friends of the deceased have alleged administrative lapses and a delayed response. Authorities, meanwhile, have terminated a junior engineer, issued show-cause notices to other officials and ordered inspections of safety measures at construction sites in the area.