BY PC Bureau
Noida/New Delhi, January 19:
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday escalated its attack on the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over the death of a 27-year-old software engineer in Noida, alleging that the administration was shielding Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate Medha Roopam because she is the daughter of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
AAP Delhi president and former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the state government of selectively fixing responsibility in the case by transferring the Noida Authority CEO while sparing the district administration, which he said was directly responsible for disaster management and rescue operations.
The controversy stems from the death of Yuvraj Mehta, a software engineer who drowned after his car plunged into a deep, water-filled pit at an under-construction site in Sector 150 in the early hours of January 17. Police said Mehta died of asphyxiation and cardiac arrest after being trapped in the submerged vehicle amid dense fog and poor visibility.
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Allegations of Botched Rescue
Bharadwaj alleged that rescue efforts were grossly delayed and mishandled. Citing eyewitness accounts and social media videos, he claimed that Mehta remained alive for nearly 90 minutes to three hours, repeatedly calling his father for help and shouting for assistance while standing on his sinking car.
A delivery agent who witnessed the incident claimed that personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reached the spot but hesitated to enter the water due to inadequate equipment and safety concerns, including the presence of iron rods at the site. These claims have not been officially confirmed.
In a post on X on January 19, Bharadwaj said disaster response and SDRF deployment fall under the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), which is chaired by the district magistrate. “In the Noida techie death case, SDRF and rescue efforts come under the DM, but the Yogi government transferred the Noida Authority CEO. Is the DM being protected because she is the daughter of the Chief Election Commissioner?” he wrote.
Bharadwaj has demanded the resignation of DM Medha Roopam, calling the handling of the incident “criminal negligence.” He also tagged the DM in earlier posts, seeking accountability for what he described as a “failed rescue operation.”
In Noida Techie death – SDRF/DDMA & “Rescue Efforts” come under “DM” of Noida
But, Yogi Govt transferred “CEO” of Noida
Because DM of Noida is daughter of Cheif Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar ? pic.twitter.com/8TmIz9Un5H
— Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) January 19, 2026
Administrative and Political Fallout
Medha Roopam, a 2014-batch IAS officer and the first woman district magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar, was appointed last year. She is the daughter of Gyanesh Kumar, a former IAS officer who assumed charge as Chief Election Commissioner in February 2025. The family connection has been reported earlier, though the state government has not responded to AAP’s allegations of favoritism.
Following public outrage and protests, the UP government removed Noida Authority CEO M. Lokesh from his post and constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. The SIT has been asked to submit its report within days.
Police have also registered an FIR against two builders—MJ Wishtown Planner Limited and Lotus Green Construction Private Limited—on charges of negligence. The Noida Authority has sacked a junior engineer, issued show-cause notices to traffic officials, and installed barricades at the accident site.
Residents of Sector 150 staged protests, alleging long-standing safety issues such as inadequate barricading, lack of reflectors, poor lighting and unsafe construction practices. Mehta’s father, Raj Kumar Mehta, has accused authorities and builders of gross negligence and demanded strict accountability so that similar tragedies are prevented.
The UP government has not directly addressed the nepotism allegations raised by AAP. With the SIT probe underway, the case has reignited debate over infrastructure safety, administrative accountability and the handling of high-profile cases in the National Capital Region.
