He sat on the car roof yelling 'Help! Help!' to the police. Everyone was there. The water was cold. No one dared to venture into it. Even the rope was out of reach. Bravely, I entered the cold water while the SDRF personnel sat on steps. If there had been swimmers or boats, he might have been saved. Three teams and around 80 personnel were present at the scene. SDRF arrived by 4 PM, prepared until 6 PM, then recovered the body.
This is part of a statement by DCP Rajeev Mishra regarding the area where young Yuvraj Mehta drowned in Noida. Rightly, the DCP stated they stood by the family. Indeed, both he and his entire police force stood by the young man's family and father, but merely as spectators. No one took action while he drowned in front of them, pleading for help, and begging for his life. Tragically, his cries went unanswered.
A software engineer by profession, he had not invented software that could keep the police or rescue teams warm in cold water. If only such a software existed, 27-year-old Yuvraj Mehta’s life wouldn’t have been lost to the depths.
'Astounding traditions of your city have turned strange, Humanity has drifted from every individual.'
Noida, known as a concrete jungle, has a heart as stone-like as its lifeless buildings. A person pined for help for around one-and-three-quarter hours, pleading with his father over the phone to save him. He insisted he didn’t want to die.
His father rushed to his only son’s aid upon hearing his plight. An impenetrable fog created a wall between father and son with both engaged over a mobile phone, hearing but unable to see each other. The son turned on his phone’s light hoping to be spotted by his father amidst the thick fog.
Trapped within a deep pit with over seven feet of water, the son had managed to climb onto the car roof, continuing his cries for help. Panicked, the father had already alerted the police. Within 20-22 minutes, the police were reportedly on-site, but despite the fog and biting cold, couldn’t see the sinking car or Yuvraj atop it.
On arrival, Noida police immediately relinquished their responsibilities to the fire brigade and SDRF. Though both agencies were present, their preparations were half-hearted. Not even ropes reached either Yuvraj or his vehicle. All stood on the sidelines, nearly as spectators.
Incidentally, a passing delivery boy named Moninder heard Yuvraj’s cries and witnessed the scene unable to stand idle. He displayed true humanity. While police, fire brigade, and SDRF, shivering at the cold water, balked at saving Yuvraj, Moninder bravely dove into the water to save him. Despite searching for half an hour, Yuvraj could not be spotted due to darkness and fog, and Moninder returned. Yet, he honored his duty.
By approximately midnight, Yuvraj and his car had submerged in this water-filled pit. For nearly one-and-three-quarter hours, he sought help from within and eventually atop the car. Around 1:45 AM, Yuvraj had probably succumbed, for that was when his father noted an abrupt disconnection, marking the end for both Yuvraj and his waterlogged phone.
The unfortunate pit incident occurred by midnight, with Yuvraj’s phone dying by 1:45 AM. Though he could not be rescued alive, four more hours passed before his body was recovered. Morning had arrived by then. Despite the presence of around 80 personnel from Noida Police, the fire brigade, and the SDRF, they couldn’t prevent the premature end of a father’s dream.
Yuvraj Mehta, aged 27, worked as a software engineer in a Gurgaon company. His father, Rajkumar Mehta, retired as a director from the State Bank of India. Tragically, his mother died a few years ago. Now, only Yuvraj and his sister remain. She lives in England, while Yuvraj resided in Noida’s Sector 150 with his father.
On the night of January 17th, a Saturday, Yuvraj was returning home from Gurgaon. The fog was dense. Just before reaching home, Yuvraj missed a sharp U-turn at Noida Sector 150 due to the heavy fog and drove straight, hitting a barrier and crashing into a water-filled pit.
It was near midnight, and the pit was shrouded in fog. Initially okay, Yuvraj called for help and notified his father, who then hurried to his son’s aid, simultaneously informing the police via number 112.
At 12:25, the police station was notified, yet it took them over 20 minutes to reach the site. Upon arrival, Yuvraj was alive, but the police were at a loss. They called in the fire brigade and SDRF, the latter spending nearly two hours preparing. By then, six hours had elapsed from Yuvraj’s plunge. Morning arrived as they pulled him from the water—lifeless. Be it system failure or inability, Yuvraj remained unsaved.
