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

After the car of a 27-year-old software engineer fell into a deep water-filled pit in Greater Noida on Sunday, January 18, 2026, a delivery driver who reached the accident scene said he too jumped into the ditch in a desperate attempt to help the victim when he saw rescue workers struggling.

Delivery agent Moninder said he was at the scene of the accident in Sector 150 around 1:45 am on Saturday, January 17, 2026, and claimed that rescue personnel were initially reluctant to enter the water due to 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 teenager and his car for about 30 minutes,” Mr Moninder told reporters, adding that he was later told “the technician could have been rescued if help had arrived 10 minutes earlier”.

He claimed that Mehta was initially standing on the roof of his car, using his cellphone’s flashlight to signal passersby and call for help.

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

However, police denied allegations of negligence. Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajeev Narayan Mishra said police and fire brigades made efforts to rescue the youths and deployed cranes, ladders, makeshift boats and searchlights, but visibility was close to zero due to fog.

According to the Knowledge Park police station, around 12:15 am, information was received that a car had fallen into a hole dug in the basement of a building under construction near Sector 150.

After a search operation of more than five hours, the body was found on Saturday morning, January 17, 2026, with the help of the fire brigade, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local police teams.

Mehta’s father, Raj Kumar Mehta, recounted his last conversation with his son and demanded responsibility for what he called negligence in the area.

The grieving father said, “I talked to him shortly before the accident. He told me he was heading home.” “After a while, he called again in panic and said that his car had an accident and fell into the sewer. He asked me to come immediately.” Sensing the urgency, he rushed to the scene. “The police were called and some bystanders also tried to help, but nothing could be done to save my son,” he said.

The father said that he called his son again when he arrived at the scene, but could not locate the vehicle due to low visibility.

“Somehow, when I called him, he turned on the flashlight of his phone inside the car, so we could see a faint light from the body of water. But it was very difficult for anyone to get inside the body of water. The police and other rescue workers tried to throw a rope but it did not work,” he told reporters.

The father also claimed that if expert divers had been able to get in, perhaps his son could have been saved.