TINA, There Is No Accountability: Rahul Gandhi on UP techie's death

Days after the tragic death of Yuvraj Mehta, a 27-year-old software engineer whose car plunged into a water-filled pit in Noida, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the incident as a glaring example of urban neglect and a failure of accountability.

Mehta, who worked in Gurugram and lived in Noida Sector 150, was returning home late on January 16 when his car fell into a deep pit near an under-construction site. Despite crying for help for nearly two hours, timely rescue efforts failed to save him.

In a post on X, Gandhi cited the incident as symptomatic of India’s urban crisis, stating, "Roads kill, bridges kill, fires kill, water kills, pollution kills, corruption kills, indifference kills." He added, "India's urban collapse isn't about lack of money, technology, or solutions. It’s about lack of accountability. TINA – There Is No Accountability."

The Uttar Pradesh government has since removed the Noida Authority CEO and constituted a high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, to probe the incident and has sought a report in five days.

Eyewitnesses and Mehta’s father criticised the delayed response in rescue operations. An eyewitness said timely action might have saved Mehta, while his father lamented that despite police and rescue personnel being present, no effective steps were taken to save his son.

Local residents protested the incident citing repeated complaints about waterlogging, absence of barricades and inadequate safety measures near the construction site.

The postmortem report confirmed Mehta died from asphyxia caused by drowning. His funeral was held in Haridwar attended by family members.

This tragedy underscores a widespread crisis in urban governance, spotlighting the urgent need for accountability and effective safety measures to prevent future losses of life.

(With PTI inputs)