• Young man drowns after car falls into construction pit in fog
• He kept screaming for help for two hours

The death of a 27-year-old Indian IT professional after his car fell into an unmarked construction pit has sparked widespread questions about urban planning and road safety in India.

The accident occurred last Friday around midnight in Noida, a suburb of the capital Delhi, when Yuvraj Mehta was driving through dense winter fog. His car reportedly hit a low wall and plunged into a deep pit filled with water.

Reports indicated that the pit had been dug several years ago before construction work stopped.

Mehta, who could not swim, climbed onto the roof of his car as it began to sink and called his father, who rushed to the scene and alerted emergency services.

His father told reporters that his son remained there for nearly two hours, waving his phone’s torch and shouting for help before his cries stopped.

By the time authorities recovered his body, almost five hours had passed since the accident, according to local media.

Mehta’s death shocked and angered residents, especially due to its proximity to the capital. Protests were held at the site, with demonstrators calling for officials to be held accountable, accusing them of negligence.

The case also raised broader concerns about the state of roads and urban planning in India.

Police in Noida have registered two cases against the developers of the construction site following a complaint from the victim’s family.

In response, the city administration removed a senior official and launched an investigation into the rescue operation and site safety.

Police arrested Abhay Kumar, one of the site owners, on charges of culpable homicide due to negligence under Indian criminal law. He remains in custody and has not commented on the allegations.

Authorities said further investigations are ongoing and more arrests are likely in the coming days.

Mehta’s father, Rajkumar Mehta, told media that he received a call from his son immediately after the accident. He described the thick darkness and fog that made his son barely visible in the murky water.

He added that rescue teams arrived quickly but lacked the resources to pull him out, and that his son’s life could have been saved if trained divers had been sent. He recounted his son repeatedly saying in those final hours: “Papa, save me.”

A delivery worker named Moninder also tried to rescue Mehta by tying a rope around his waist and jumping into the cold water, but could not locate him after 30–40 minutes. He said emergency responders refused to enter the water due to the cold and submerged iron rods.

Noida’s Additional Commissioner of Police Rajeev Narain Mishra described the incident as “unfortunate” but denied negligence, noting that police and fire teams used a crane, ladder, makeshift boat, and searchlights, though visibility was zero.

Assistant Commissioner Hemant Upadhyay said no one was sent into the pit over concerns about further casualties due to deep water and underwater hazards.