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Trapped for 90 hours: How an NDRF team finally recovered Noida techie’s car from a swamp

Teams of the NDRF were at the site from around 9.30 am on Tuesday morning, and began work to salvage the car from the water around noon, officials said.

4 min readNoidaUpdated: Jan 21, 2026 08:22 AM IST

The car was found nearly 60 metres from the edge of the swamp, a senior police official present at the spot said. (Express Photo/Monojit Majumdar)

Yuvraj Mehta’s grey Grand Vitara was fished out of a swamp in Noida sector 150 around 6.30 pm on Tuesday, three-and-a-half days after it went off the road and fell into a 70-foot-deep pit, leading to his death. The car had plunged into the swamp just after midnight on Friday, and Yuvraj had drowned after about two hours, screaming for help as police and his father waited on the road.

The car was pulled out hours after the Greater Noida Police arrested Abhay Kumar, a director of the real estate company MZ Wiztown, on charges including culpable homicide, causing death by negligence and negligent act endangering human life.

The car was found nearly 60 m from the edge of the swamp, a senior police officer present at the spot said. Teams of the NDRF were at the site from around 9.30 am on Tuesday, and began work to salvage the car from the water around noon, officials said.

Car belonging to Noida techie who died after crashing into a drainage boundary near Sector 150 was pulled out today (Jan 20).

After screaming for help for around two hours while standing atop his partially submerged car, with policemen allegedly watching, a 27-year-old man… pic.twitter.com/zn9SHLEytW

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) January 20, 2026

The Indian Express saw two motorised boats of the NDRF, with about a dozen personnel in orange vests on board, scouring the murky waters through the afternoon and evening. After locating the car, the team pushed it closer to the edge of the swamp before it was hauled out by a crane.

About two dozen NDRF personnel along with teams from the Ecotech, Dankaur, Jewar and Knowledge Park police stations of Gautam Budhha Nagar Police were involved in the operation, Sanjay Singh, SHO, Jewar, told The Indian Express.

After locating the car, the team pushed it closer to the edge of the swamp before it was hauled out by a crane. (Express Photo/Monojit Majumdar)

Around 12.30 am on Saturday, 27-year-old Yuvraj was driving to his home in Noida from Gurgaon through dense fog. The accident took place at a point where the road takes a sharp 90 degree right turn towards ATS Le Grandiose housing society. Yuvraj appears to have gone straight ahead, with his car flying over a 2-m wide drain and a low boundary wall to plunge into the swamp. The road was dark and the night was foggy, area residents have said.

Also read | Noida techie death: UP govt shunts Noida Authority CEO; CM Yogi Adityanath orders SIT probe

The Knowledge Park Police, with the help of manual intelligence and confidential information, arrested Kumar from Noida’s Sector 150. “… a case was registered at Knowledge Park police station regarding the death of car driver, Yuvraj… who drowned in water accumulated on a plot, due to negligence by the builder, at a building under construction… The arrested accused was wanted in this case,” an officer said.

Police said that they are looking for another builder from Lotus Greens and he will be arrested soon. “We made the arrest because the area surrounding the plot was not fenced, which was primarily the responsibility of the builder concerned,” said an officer.

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The Greater Noida Police on Sunday had registered an FIR against real estate companies MZ Wiztown Planners Private Limited and Lotus Greens Construction Private Limited.

A spokesperson for Lotus Greens had issued a statement saying it had “no role to play because the said plot was transferred in 2019-20 to… [another company] with the approval of the Noida Authority”.

Abhay Kumar, meanwhile, had said the land was sold to them by Lotus Greens and was already excavated in 2020. “However, the Noida Authority withheld commencement permission, paralysing the project,” he had alleged. Kumar had also said that the land allotted to him was part of the Sports City Project and the project was halted.

On Monday, the UP government put the Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M on a waitlist, and formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the tragedy.

Neetika Jha

Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in the Noida bureau. She primarily covers crime, health, and environmental issues, as well as human-interest features across Noida, Ghaziabad, and Western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beat: Her work focuses on the administrative and social challenges of the NCR's satellite cities. She is known for her detailed reporting on civic infrastructure (like the Noida International Airport), environmental violations, and high-profile criminal investigations. Personal Interests: Outside of reporting, she is an avid reader of fiction (citing The Thursday Murder Club and Yellowface as recent favorites) and a gardening enthusiast. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Neetika’s recent reportage has been dominated by winter-related crises in the NCR and significant criminal legalities: 1. Environment & Public Safety "Greater Noida Authority slaps fines on firms for violating GRAP IV norms" (Dec 21, 2025): Reporting on heavy penalties imposed on major developers like NBCC for flouting anti-pollution construction bans. "Fatal pile-up on Yamuna Expressway: Fog, high speed emerge as key safety risks" (Dec 17, 2025): A major report on a 15-vehicle collision caused by dense fog that killed 17 people. "At Chilla, Kalindi, DND, many fined Rs 20,000 for non-compliance to Delhi's BS-VI rule" (Dec 19, 2025): On-the-ground reporting from the borders where Noida police penalize non-compliant vehicles entering the capital. "Driving in Noida amid fog? New speed limits in effect till Feb 15" (Dec 13, 2025): Detailing the seasonal traffic restrictions aimed at preventing highway accidents. 2. Crime & Legal Developments "'Have you ever heard of a murder case being withdrawn?': Court in Akhlaq lynching case" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering a critical courtroom hearing where the court questioned the UP government's petition to withdraw charges against the accused. "After losing money in stock market, bank employee in Ghaziabad withdraws Rs 64 lakh from customers' accounts" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative piece on internal bank fraud and the risks of modern digital embezzlement. "Woman shot dead by partner in Noida: Three days on, accused still on the run" (Dec 2, 2025): Tracking a high-profile domestic violence and murder case in Central Noida. 3. Human Interest & Features "'Had tears in my eyes': Army men walk bride down the aisle 20 years after father died in terror attack" (Dec 2, 2025): A moving story about soldiers from a Punjab Grenadiers unit fulfilling a father's duty for his daughter. "How a Zepto delivery man heard a cry — and saved two kids dumped in Noida drain" (Dec 2025): A viral human-interest story highlighting individual heroism in the city. Signature Style Neetika is recognized for her meticulous follow-up on local tragedies. Whether it is a massive pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway or the ongoing construction of the Jewar (Noida) Airport, she focuses on systemic lapses and the safety of commuters. Her crime reporting often explores the psychological motives behind "crimes of passion" and the rising trend of financial cyber-fraud in the Ghaziabad-Noida belt. ... Read More

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