Noida techie's death: Autopsy reveals Asphyxia, cardiac arrest behind Yuvraj Mehta's death

A27-year-old tekki tragically missed his life-time after falling into a ditch on a fog-shrouded route in sphere 150, Noida. The autopsy report revealed that Yuvraj Mehta suffered asphyxia due to ante-mortem drowning, followed by cardiac arrest, leading to his death.According to Additional Commissioner of Police, Gautam Budh Nagar, Rajeev Narayan Mishra, the post-mortem report stated that he died of drowning. The Additional Commissioner further added, "We have preserved blood samples and viscera for further reports."The report also notes that Yuvraj suffocated underwater and suffered a cardiac arrest, which led to his death. It confirmed that there was around 200 ml of fluid in his lungs. Also read| ‘No divers, people recorded videos’: Noida techie’s father alleges grave negligence behind Yuvraj's deathWhat happened?Mehta was returning home to Tata Eureka Park in Sector 150 from his Gurugram office late on January 16. Dense winter fog made visibility extremely poor when his Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara veered off the road and fell into a deep, water-filled excavation pit on a vacant plot.The pit, dug for a building’s basement, was estimated to be over 20 feet deep, with some assessments suggesting nearly 50 feet. It was filled with rainwater and had no barricades, warning signs, or reflective markers.After the crash, Yuvraj climbed onto the car roof and called his father, Raj Kumar Mehta. At around midnight, he made a desperate call for help. His father rushed to the spot. “My son himself called me while he was trapped. He said, ‘Papa, I am stuck, the car has fallen into the drain’,” Raj Kumar told HT.Yuvraj worked in a software company in Gurugram and lived with his father in a high-rise in Sector 150. His mother had passed away almost two years ago.Also read| Noida techie's death: FIR on builder firms after man drowns in construction pitWhat did eyewitnesses say?Eyewitnesses said Yuvraj ended up in the pit due to dense fog, and he could not be saved despite the police arriving at the site.An eyewitness, Moninder, who tried to help, said, “For around one hour and forty-five minutes, he kept pleading for help, saying, please save me, save me in any way possible.”What the family saidYuvraj’s father, Rajkumar Mehta, said his son remained alive in the water for nearly two hours, desperately calling out for help as people gathered at the site and recorded videos.Speaking to news agency ANI, he said, “The officials and staff present were unable to save him. They did not have any divers. There is negligence on the part of the administration in this entire matter.”Also read| SOS call at 12:15 am, ‘2-hour' struggle: Techie's final moments before he drowned in Noida ditchFIR and police responseFIR and police responseIn his police complaint, accessed by Hindustan Times, Raj Kumar alleged that residents of Sector 150 had requested the Noida authority to install barricades and reflectors near the drain, but no action was taken.Police said the boundary wall of the water pit was damaged in parts. However, it was unclear how the car plunged into the basement and became fully submerged. Poor visibility due to fog and speeding are being considered as factors contributing to the accident.Police added that they made every possible effort to save Yuvraj, but the rescue became difficult due to the depth of the water, darkness, and dense fog. “We were afraid that there could be more casualties if someone entered the water to rescue him. It could have been worse for us,” Hemant Upadhyay, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Greater Noida, said.FIR against buildersAn FIR has been registered against two builders who own the plot where the accident took place.“On the complaint of the deceased’s father, a case at Knowledge Park police station under sections 105 (culpable homicide), 106 (causing death by negligence) and 125 (act endangering life) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered against the two builders who own the plot,” Upadhyay told HT.(With inputs from HT correspondents)