From Satellite Images to Shifting Witness Accounts: Inside the Latest Developments in Noida Techie Death

The Incident Triggered Allegations of Negligence and Administrative Lapses at an Accident-prone Site

The Noida techie death case has taken a fresh turn following the recovery of the car and satellite images. The incident has exposed safety lapses that were flagged earlier but never acted upon, and an alleged attempt by the police to cover up the incident, according to a witness.

What Happened to Yuvraj Mehta?

Mehta was returning home to Tata Eureka Park in Noida Sector 150. While navigating a turn in heavy fog, his Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara jumped an unguarded drain and crashed into a deep pit. 

Yuvraj, who didn’t know swimming, put up a valiant and heart-wrenching effort to get out of the car, climbed onto its roof and even called his father and friend. The 27-year-old software engineer stood atop his car after it plunged into the rainwater-filled construction pit and shouted for help on the freezing winter night. 

The authorities, according to the friend and father, failed to rescue Mehta in time. Mehta’s body and his car were pulled out of the pit after five hours. It was earlier reported that police teams, fire department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) arrived shortly but the rescue operation was delayed by a combination of darkness, thick fog, and the pit’s distance from the road.

“Police Gave Me Script”

A 26-year-old delivery executive, who was a key witness to techie's death, has alleged that police officers pressured him to stay away from the media for 10 days.

“I was called to the police station and they forcefully recorded another video of me after giving me a script,” Moninder Singh told, adding, “I was forced to sit in a park close to the police station for more than four-and-a-half hours.”

"When I went there, three to four officers took me to a nearby park close to Knowledge Park police station and scolded me for speaking to the media.. I was directed to give statements in favour of the police, saying that cops were inside the water and did all possible efforts to rescue Yuvraj Mehta,” an earlier report quoted Singh as saying.

“They also verbally gave me a script and recorded a video. As I was scared, I said ‘okay’ and agreed to follow the directions, but I decided that I am the only eyewitness in the case and I will stand with the truth. My family and locals are supporting me,” Singh said.

What Do Satellite Images Reveal?

The satellite images on Google Earth showed that a large water body began appearing from late 2021 at the Sector 150 plot where the software engineer drowned. The excavation remained submerged and unsecured for over three years despite surrounding road and infrastructure development. 

A review of Google Earth images from April 2009 to March 2025, revealed the land was under agriculture until at least 2015. Stagnant dark water, algae growth and partially submerged construction material, indicated prolonged abandonment. The most recent Google Earth image from March 2025 shows the pit still intact, filled with water and surrounded by overgrowth, while the adjoining roads appear fully developed.

Final Thoughts

The state government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT ) to probe the incident. Police on Tuesday arrested MZ Wiztown Planner Pvt Ltd promoter Abhay Kumar from the Sector 150 area.

A UP Irrigation Department letter to the Noida Authority flagged the need to construct head regulators to flush out accumulated rain and drain water in Noida's Sector 150. Locals who carried out protest marches said the mishap could have been avoided if the proposed head regulators were constructed.