Noida techie's death: NDRF inspects site as NGT takes suo motu action

Following the death of a techie in Greater Noida, the NDRF inspected the unbarricaded water pit site. The NGT has taken suo motu cognizance, and police have arrested two builder associates, with an FIR filed against five others.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel on Friday inspected the site in Sector 150, Greater Noida, where 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta tragically died after his car fell into a water-filled pit on the intervening night of January 16-17.

NGT Takes Suo Motu Cognisance

The inspection comes as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident, seeking responses from multiple state and local authorities over alleged environmental non-compliance and prolonged administrative inaction. The Principal Bench of the NGT, headed by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member A. Senthil Vel, registered an Original Application based on media reports highlighting Mehta's death and subsequent investigations.

The Tribunal noted that the land where the incident occurred was originally allotted for a private mall project, but had, over the years, turned into a stagnant pond due to unchecked accumulation of rainwater and wastewater from surrounding housing societies.

Police Action and Arrests

The Greater Noida Police have also arrested two individuals, Ravi Bansal and Sachin Karanwal, associated with Lotus Green Construction Private Limited and the builder, in connection with Mehta's death. Earlier, an FIR was also registered against five other individuals -- Abhay Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Manish Kumar, Achal Bohra, and Nirmal Kumar -- citing violations under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Details from FIR

The FIR revealed that the pit was deep, unbarricaded, and filled with highly polluted water mixed with garbage, producing a foul stench that affected nearby residents. The pit, located near a public road, posed a severe risk to human life, with no warning signs or safety measures in place.

The land was purchased by Lotus Green Construction in 2014 and later sold to Viztown in 2020, though the company continues to hold a significant share. Authorities said that further legal action is underway as the investigation continues, with the NGT monitoring adherence to environmental laws and public safety norms.

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