Two months after the death of 27-year-old software engineer Yuvraj Mehta in Noida, his father Raj Kumar Mehta says he is still awaiting justice as well as the findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the incident.
In a conversation with Read, Raj Kumar Mehta said the continued delay in releasing the investigation report has left him deeply disheartened. “It has been almost two months and I am still waiting for justice for my son. The SIT was supposed to submit its report within five days, yet it has still not been made public,” he said.
Yuvraj’s father said the loss of his son has taken a significant emotional toll on him. Battling depression after the tragedy, he recently left Noida and moved to the United Kingdom to stay with his daughter.
“I have moved to the UK to stay with my daughter for some time. After my son’s death there was no one in Noida to look after me. I am still waiting for the SIT report. I also want to thank the media for standing with us and continuing to raise the demand for justice for my son,” he said.
He further said that with each passing day his hope that the truth will emerge is gradually fading. According to him, the SIT submitted its report to the Uttar Pradesh government weeks ago, but no action has been announced so far.
“With every passing day my hope is diminishing. It has been two months since the SIT submitted its report to the government, yet nothing has happened. Initially I had faith when the Chief Minister himself took note of the incident and ordered an SIT inquiry. But after that it seems everything has gone into cold storage,” he said.
Mehta also alleged that the authorities appear to have moved on from the case.
“It feels as if the system will only wake up when another life is lost. Everyone is busy with their own work, but for a father the most painful thing is to see his son die before his eyes because of the negligence of the rescue team and the Noida police,” he added.
When contacted by Read, the office of the Additional Director General of Police, Meerut Zone—who was a member of the SIT—said that the team has already submitted its report to the state government. Officials said that the government will take further decisions based on the findings of the report.
Notably, Yuvraj Mehta died late on the night of 16 January after his car fell into a deep, water-filled excavation pit in Sector 150, Noida. The pit, which had been dug for construction work, had reportedly filled with water and lacked proper barricading and warning signs.
According to investigative findings and administrative records, Mehta remained trapped inside the submerged vehicle. A postmortem examination later confirmed that he died due to asphyxia and cardiac arrest. The incident sparked widespread concern over construction safety and civic oversight in the rapidly developing locality.
Following the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a high-level inquiry.
On 19 January, the state government constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team headed by Additional Director General of Police, Meerut Zone, Bhanu Bhaskar.
The other members included Divisional Commissioner Bhanu Chandra Goswami and a Chief Engineer from the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department.
The SIT was assigned the task of examining the circumstances that led to Mehta’s death and determining accountability among civic authorities, engineers, contractors and emergency responders.
The state government had directed the SIT to submit its report within five days, setting a deadline of 24 January. However, weeks later the report has still not been made public, and the government has not clarified whether it has been formally processed or remains pending.
The delay has raised concerns within administrative and political circles.
There are indications that the government may be facing pressure regarding possible action against certain officials whose roles are under scrutiny. However, the authorities have not officially commented on the reasons for the delay.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Uttar Pradesh government removed the Chief Executive Officer of the Noida Authority. Criminal cases were also registered against private individuals linked to the excavation site and related construction activity.
For Raj Kumar Mehta, however, these measures have not brought closure.
“I am only seeking accountability and justice for my son,” he said.
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