New Delhi: Serious allegations of inhuman conduct and intimidation by the Knowledge Park police have emerged in connection with the death of Yuvraj Mehta, sparking widespread concern over the functioning of the police station and the role of senior officers. The controversy intensified after eyewitness Mohinder Singh alleged that police officials threatened him against speaking to the media and instructed him to leave Noida for a few days until the case “settles down”.
The incident has raised pointed questions about the functioning of the Knowledge Park police station under senior officials, including ACP Greater Noida-1 Hemant Upadhyay and SHO Knowledge Park Sarvesh Chandra. Local residents and members of the victim’s family have questioned why the police, despite being present at the spot for several hours, failed to save the life of the young man who was reportedly crying out for help.
According to residents living in the vicinity, police personnel reached the location where Yuvraj Mehta’s car had plunged into a water-filled basement of an under-construction plot. However, they allegedly failed to take timely and effective steps to rescue him. Several residents questioned why the police did not enter the water themselves or initiate a more determined rescue effort while the victim was still alive.
The matter took a more serious turn after Yuvraj’s father alleged that his son lost his life due to the absence of a proper and prompt rescue operation. He further claimed that after failing to save his son, police officials also attempted to intimidate the family and pressured them not to speak openly to the media. The police, however, have denied all such allegations. The Sunday Guardian also had access to the complaint submitted by the victim’s father to the Knowledge Park police.
Adding to the controversy, a local resident, speaking to The Sunday Guardian on condition of anonymity, described the conduct of the Knowledge Park police as “deeply shameful”. “First, they failed to save the life of a young boy, and now they are threatening eyewitnesses and family members to remain silent. This is completely inhuman. The government should take strict action against the officials concerned, just as it acted against the CEO of the Noida Authority,” the resident said.
Eyewitness Mohinder Singh, a delivery executive and the sole eyewitness to the incident, has also levelled serious allegations against the police. Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Singh said that if the case is closed, the Knowledge Park police would definitely take action against him and attempt to implicate him in false cases.
Singh alleged that he was called to the police station and forced to record another video statement based on a script provided by police officials. “I was made to sit in a park near the police station for more than four-and-a-half hours,” he claimed.
Singh, a resident of Noida’s Sector 150, said he was on his way to deliver an order around 1.50 am on Saturday when he noticed police personnel at the site where Yuvraj Mehta had driven into a water-filled pit. According to Singh, Mehta drowned along with his car about five minutes before he reached the spot. He said he jumped into the water wearing a life jacket and made efforts for nearly 30 minutes to locate Mehta but failed due to poor visibility and deep, muddy water.
“I was later called by the police on the pretext that senior officers wanted to speak to me. Instead, three to four officers took me to a nearby park and scolded me for speaking to the media,” Singh alleged. He further claimed that he was directed to give statements favouring the police, asserting that the cops had entered the water and made all possible efforts to rescue Yuvraj Mehta.
Singh also alleged that police officials told him the matter would disappear from the media within two to three days, while reminding him that he lived in the same area. “They verbally gave me a script and recorded a video. Out of fear, I initially agreed, but later decided that as the only eyewitness, I would stand by the truth. My family and local residents are supporting me,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Police Commissionerate Gautam Buddha Nagar issued a statement on social media, stating that upon receiving information about the incident, the local police, fire brigade and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) immediately launched a rescue operation. The statement said that a wide range of advanced rescue equipment, including lifebuoy rings, hydraulic platforms, rubber boats, hydra cranes, rescue lights, ropes, fire tenders and ladders, was deployed.
The police further stated that dense fog and zero visibility significantly hampered rescue efforts, and that the pit was filled with deep water, mud and debris, with the vehicle lodged in the middle. The post added that an FIR has been registered on the basis of a complaint and that Abhay Kumar, Director of MZ Viztown, has been arrested. A high-level Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been constituted by the government to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
According to sources, the three-member SIT is also examining possible lapses on the part of the Knowledge Park police, who were the first responders at the scene but were unable to save the victim. The SIT has reportedly reviewed the actions taken by the police team, and further action is expected, though the nature and level of accountability remain to be seen.
The Sunday Guardian attempted to contact ACP Greater Noida-1 Hemant Upadhyay and SHO Knowledge Park Sarvesh Chandra for their response, but calls to both officials remained unanswered.
