When rescue workers fumbled, delivery agent entered water-filled pit to help Greater Noida techie

Noida, Jan 18 (PTI) A delivery agent, who reached the accident site after a 27-year-old software engineer's car fell into a water-filled deep pit in Greater Noida, on Sunday said he himself jumped into the pit in a desperate attempt to help the victim when he saw rescue workers struggling.

Moninder, the delivery agent, said he was at the accident site in Sector 150 at around 1.45 am Saturday and alleged that rescue personnel were initially reluctant to enter the water because of the cold, poor visibility and the presence of iron rods at the construction site.

"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," Moninder told reporters, adding that he was later told that "if help had reached 10 minutes earlier, the techie could have been saved".

He claimed that Mehta was initially seen standing on the roof of his car, using his mobile phone's torch to signal passers-by and pleading for help.

Moninder also said the same ditch had earlier witnessed another accident in which a truck driver was rescued by locals using ropes and a ladder.

Police, however, rejected allegations of negligence. Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajeev Narayan Mishra said police and fire department teams made efforts to save the youth and deployed a crane, ladder, makeshift boat and searchlights, but visibility was near zero due to fog.

According to the Knowledge Park police station, information was received around 12.15 am that a car had fallen into a pit dug for the basement of an under-construction building near Sector 150.

After an over five-hour search operation, the body was recovered later on Saturday morning with the help of teams from the fire department, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the local police.

Mehta's father, Raj Kumar Mehta, described his last conversation with his son and demanded accountability for what he termed negligence at the site.

"I spoke to him shortly before the accident. He told me he was on his way home," the grieving father said. "A little later, he called again in panic and said his car had met with an accident and fallen into a drain. He asked me to come immediately." Sensing the urgency, he rushed to the spot. "Police were called and some people nearby also tried to help, but nothing could be done to save my son," he said.

The father said when he reached the spot, he again called his son but could not locate the vehicle as the visibility was low.

"Somehow, when I called him, he opened the torchlight of his phone inside the car because of which we could see a faint little light from the water body. But it was so difficult for anybody to get inside the water body. Police and other rescue officials tried throwing a rope, but to no avail," he told reporters.

The father also claimed if expert divers could have gone in then maybe his son would have been saved. PTI COR KIS RT RT