'We could see only a thin ray of light': Noida techie’s final struggle in abandoned pit; authority cracks whip

NOIDA: Trapped in a flooded pit on a fog-choked night, 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta fought for nearly 90 minutes to stay alive — climbing onto the roof of his sinking SUV, calling his father, sharing his location, and flashing his phone’s torch again and again through the mist in a desperate bid to be seen.

Those at the edge of the pit could hear his cries, but in near-zero visibility, they could only make out “a thin ray of light” before his voice eventually fell silent.




The accident occurred around 12.30am in Sector 150 when Mehta, who worked with customer data science company Dunnhumby India in Gurgaon, was on his way home when his Grand Vitara smashed through a damaged boundary wall and plunged into a water-filled excavation dug for a commercial project near ATS Le Grandiose.

With no barricading, reflectors or warning lights at the site, the pit — nearly 30 feet deep — was virtually invisible in dense fog. Mehta, who did not know how to swim, managed to get out of the vehicle and clamber onto its roof as it slowly sank.

Within minutes, his father Raj Mehta, a retired SBI director who lives in the same sector, reached the spot after receiving his son’s call and WhatsApp location.

Police and emergency services were alerted, but rescuers struggled to locate him in the darkness. Ropes were thrown, a crane was brought in, and ladders were tried — all falling short of reaching him in time.

A passerby, Moninder, even jumped into the freezing water and searched for nearly half an hour, but could not find Mehta in the murk.

Rescue teams cited thick fog, extreme cold and the depth of the pit as major hurdles. SDRF personnel reached first but lacked equipment for such a deep rescue; the NDRF was later called in from Ghaziabad, losing crucial time. By around 1.45am, the cries stopped. Mehta’s body was recovered at about 4.30am, nearly four hours after the crash.

Residents said the excavation had been left open for nearly two years and had already seen a similar accident days earlier, with no corrective action taken.

Police said the site had turned into a lethal hazard, especially during winter fog.

Following the incident, an FIR was registered against two builders — MZ Wishtown Planners Pvt Ltd and Lotus Greens Construction Pvt Ltd — under BNS sections related to culpable homicide, causing death by negligence, and acts endangering life.

Police said they would also take up the matter with the Noida Authority to address safety lapses across the area.

Mehta, who worked with Dunnhumby India in Gurgaon, lived with his father in Sector 150. He had lost his mother two years ago and was the family’s sole earning member.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi wishes, messages and quotes !