Techie Drowns In Noida Ditch, Told Father "Don't Want To Die" In Last Call

A 27-year-old software engineer died after his car collided with a drainage boundary and fell into a deep ditch amid dense fog in Noida, sparking outrage among the residents. 

The incident took place on Friday night near Sector 150, when the techie, Yuvraj Mehta, was returning home from work.

Due to the dense fog and the absence of reflectors on the road, his car collided with a high-ground ridge that separates two adjacent drainage basins, and fell into a 70-feet-deep ditch filled with water. Some people who were passing by heard Mehta's screams and tried to help, but the car was completely submerged. The techie even called his father, Rajkumar Mehta, and told him, "Dad, I've fallen into a deep pit filled with water. I'm drowning. Please come and save me. I don't want to die."

Within a few minutes, local police, divers, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams arrived at the scene and initiated a rescue operation. Mehta's father was also present at the spot.

The techie and his car were pulled out of the ditch after nearly five hours of rescue efforts. Mehta, however, was declared dead.

Following the incident, Mehta's family filed a complaint, alleging that the authorities had neither installed reflectors nor covered drains along the service road. The absence of reflectors along the road amid dense fog caused the accident, the victim's father said. Knowledge Park Police Station in-charge Sarvesh Kumar said any negligence found in the case will be investigated, and necessary legal action will be taken.

The incident also sparked widespread outrage among residents, with some locals organising protests and shouting slogans against the authorities. According to them, they had repeatedly demanded the installation of reflectors and signage on the service road, but no action was taken.

Shortly after, the authorities filled the deep ditch with several tons of garbage and debris.

(With inputs from Narendra Thakur)