Noida techie death: Junior engineer terminated, show-cause notices to traffic officials

The Noida Authority on Sunday terminated the services of a junior engineer and issued show-cause notices to other officials responsible for traffic-related works after a 27-year-old software engineer died when his car plunged into a water-filled pit at a construction site in Sector 150.

In an official statement issued late Sunday night, the authority said its Chief Executive Officer, Lokesh M, ordered strict action and directed the immediate termination of junior engineer Naveen Kumar of the Noida Traffic Cell. Show-cause notices have also been issued to other officers and staff linked to traffic management in and around Sector 150.

The CEO has sought detailed reports from the concerned departments regarding the allotment and construction activities of the developer, Lotus, and ordered a review of safety arrangements at the site. The authority said negligence of safety norms at construction sites would not be tolerated.

“All departments have been instructed to re-inspect safety measures at ongoing construction projects in their respective areas to prevent recurrence of such incidents,” the statement said.

The action comes amid allegations of negligence and delay in rescue efforts following the death of Yuvraj Mehta, a resident of Tata Eureka Park society. Mehta’s car fell into a more than 20-feet-deep, water-filled pit dug for the basement of an under-construction building in the early hours of Saturday.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajeev Narayan Mishra said authorities made all possible efforts to rescue the victim.

“It is a sad incident. We are with the grieving family. Every possible effort was made to save his life. SDRF teams were also deployed, but visibility was zero,” Mishra said.

He added that an FIR has been registered on the basis of the family’s complaint and action will be taken against those found guilty.

Police said Mehta, who worked with a Gurugram-based firm, was returning home from work when the accident occurred amid dense fog. His body was recovered after a search operation involving teams from the fire department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local police.

An eyewitness, a delivery agent, alleged that rescue efforts were delayed and said the victim might have survived had prompt action been taken. Residents of nearby housing societies staged protests, alleging inadequate barricading, absence of reflectors and poor lighting at the accident-prone site.

Police have registered a case against two real estate developers based on the family’s complaint, while denying any negligence in the rescue operation.

Following the protests, the Noida Authority has installed barricades at the site.