NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday removed Lokesh M as CEO of the Noida Authority and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of software engineer Yuvraj Mehta, who drowned on Friday night after his car fell into a waterlogged trench at a commercial site in Sector 150. The action followed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath taking “serious cognisance” of the incident, reports Aditya Dev.
The road Mehta was travelling on has a sharp right-angle turn that becomes especially dangerous during fog, yet there were no warning signs or lights. The area also lacked basic safety measures, and rescue efforts were reportedly delayed.
Mehta’s father has accused the police and other agencies of failing to act swiftly. According to the family, Mehta was alive and calling for help when police reached the spot, but none of the personnel present knew how to swim. A senior police officer later said swimming is not a mandatory requirement for police personnel. Unable to swim, Mehta reportedly tried to stay afloat by holding onto the car before eventually going under.
The SIT will be headed by ADG (Meerut Zone) Bhanu Bhaskar, with divisional commissioner Bhanu Chandra Goswami and the PWD chief engineer as members. The panel has been instructed to submit its report to the chief minister within five days.
Lokesh M, who also headed the Noida Metro Rail Corporation, has been placed on compulsory waiting. As CEO, he was responsible for the authority’s daily administration, civic planning, and enforcement. A 2005-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, he assumed charge in July 2023.
An FIR was registered on Sunday against two real estate developers — Wishtown Planners and Lotus Greens — who won the project where the trench was dug, for alleged negligence including the absence of barricades, reflectors, and other safety arrangements. Earlier, the Noida Authority had suspended junior engineer Naveen Kumar, responsible for traffic-related work in the area, and issued notices to other officials linked to the site.
Local residents protested at the accident site, accusing the Noida Authority of negligence. They claimed multiple accidents had occurred at the same location earlier and that repeated demands for barricades and reflectors were ignored. Following the protest, the authority dumped hundreds of tonnes of debris near the site.
