The delivery agent, who reportedly entered the flooded pit in Noida’s Sector 150 where software engineer Yuvraj Mehta drowned, has alleged pressure from police to give statements in favour of cops.
Identified as Moninder Singh, the delivery agent had claimed to enter the pit after noticing that the police and rescue teams present at the site were reluctant to enter the waters.
“I tied a rope around my waist and went into the water myself. I searched for the youth and his car for around 30 minutes,” he had said, adding that Mehta could be saved if authorities had acted timely.
The techie drowned at a mall site in Noida’s Sector 150 after his car rammed a drainage wall and plunged into a flooded deep pit dug at the site.
His death exposed the administrative apathy and delayed emergency response as Yuvraj stood on the roof of his car for around 90 minutes, waiting for help.
Yuvraj didn’t know how to swim but managed to climb on the roof of his SUV. He called his father to inform him about the incident. His father and the police reached the spot within minutes of the incident but he still could not be saved.
While Moninder was hailed as a hero, the police and emergency response teams received intense criticism for not being able to save the techie.
With an SIT investigation now underway, Moninder has claimed that he was called to the police station, where a scripted video of him was recorded forcefully.
“I was called by the police saying that senior officers wanted to talk to me regarding the case. 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,” Singh was quoted as saying by HT.
He further added, “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.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the police arrested Abhay Singh, CEO of MZ Wiztown Planners in connection with the death of Noida software engineer Yuvraj Mehta.
The builder has been charged under Sections 105, 106(1) and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for alleged culpable homicide due to negligence.