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Noida: Amid an outrage over the death of 27-year-old techie in Noida, the eyewitness who earlier alleged police and rescue personnel inaction took the young man's life now claimed that he has been warned to stop giving statements over the incident in the media. The techie's death has raised questions over civic lapses and the delay in rescue efforts.
Yuvraj Mehta drowned after his Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara plunged into a water-filled pit dug for the basement of an under-construction building near Sector 150 around midnight on Saturday. Mehta, a resident of Tata Eureka Park society in Sector 150, was working as a software engineer with a company in Gurugram and was returning home from work.
Noida techie death eyewitness alleges police pressure
Moninder, the delivery agent, who was present at the incident spot, claimed that he was summoned to the Knowledge Park police station and was given a script and was made to record another video. "I was made to sit in a park near the police station for more than 4 hours," he was quoted as saying by HT.
He also alleged that police officers reprimanded him for speaking to reporters and also tried to pressure him to change his statement. He also said that he was asked to stay away from the media for 5 to 10 days. “I was told to give statements in favour of the police, saying that personnel were inside the water and did all possible efforts to save Yuvraj Mehta," he added.
"They dictated what I should speak and recorded a video. I got scared and said whatever they asked me do say. But now I have decided that I was the only who saw what happened that day and I will stand my ground. My family and locals are with me," he said.
Eyewitness' first-hand account
Moninder had earlier alleged that rescue personnel were refusing to enter the water because of the cold and dense fog and the present of iron rods at the construction site. The eyewitness had also claimed that the fire brigade team could have save the techie but no one went inside the water to save him. Moninder himself jumped into the water-filled pit to rescue the techie.
"I took off my clothes, wore a safety jacket, tied a rope around my waist, and went into the water," he said.
Police, however, rejected the charge and said that officials and fire department teams made efforts to save Mehta. Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajeev Narayan Mishra said they deployed a crane, ladder, makeshift boat and searchlights, but visibility was near zero due to fog.
Mehta's body was recovered after an over five-hour search operation. On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh government had removed Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M, a 2005-batch IAS officer, and also ordered the constitution of a SIT to probe the death. Earlier, a junior engineer was sacked and show-cause notice was issued against officials responsible for overseeing road and traffic related work in Sector 150/
