A 26-year-old delivery executive, one of the two key eyewitnesses to the death of software engineer Yuvraj Mehta, has alleged that police officers pressured him to stay away from the media and record a scripted video in favour of the authorities.
Moninder Singh told Hindustan Times on Tuesday that he was summoned to a police station and forced to record another video after being given a script. “I was called to the police station and they forcefully recorded another video of me after giving me a script,” Singh said, adding that he was made to sit in a park near the station for more than four-and-a-half hours.
Death Triggers Outrage Over Civic Lapses
Twenty-seven-year-old Yuvraj Mehta drowned after his car plunged into a water-filled excavation pit on a vacant plot in Sector 150 of Greater Noida, sparking widespread outrage over alleged civic lapses and delays in rescue efforts. The pit, reportedly dug for a building’s basement, was estimated to be more than 20 feet deep, with some assessments putting it at nearly 50 feet.
Officials and residents said the pit was filled with rainwater and had no barricades, warning signs or reflective markers, raising serious questions about safety and accountability.
Eyewitness Claims Coercion, Police Deny Threats
Singh came into the public spotlight after a short video he recorded at the site, purportedly showing failures in the rescue operation, went viral on social media. He alleged that soon after, police called him in and asked him to “disappear” for five to 10 days.
“I was called by the police saying senior officers wanted to talk to me regarding the case,” Singh said. “Three to four officers took me to a nearby park close to Knowledge Park police station and scolded me for speaking to the media.”
According to Singh, he was directed to give statements favourable to the police, claiming officers had entered the water and made every possible effort to rescue Mehta. “They verbally gave me a script and recorded a video. I was scared, so I agreed,” he said, adding that he later decided to stand by what he described as the truth. “I am the only eyewitness in the case, and my family and locals are supporting me.”
Singh further alleged that officers told him the case would fade from public attention within days. “They said the case would disappear from the media in two to three days, but you live here,” he claimed.
A resident of Sector 150, Singh said he was on his way to deliver an order at around 1.50 am on Saturday when he saw police at the site attempting to rescue Mehta, who had allegedly driven into the water-filled basement of an under-construction plot. Singh said Mehta drowned about five minutes before he reached the spot.
He claimed he jumped into the water wearing a life jacket and searched for Mehta for nearly 30 minutes but was unable to locate him.
A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied any intimidation. “The police did not threaten him,” the officer said, adding that if such allegations had been made, they would be examined and verified.