Noida techie death: Fresh FIR against builders for flouting environment pollution laws

Noida: Another FIR has been lodged against five builders of Lotus Greens Construction Pvt Ltd and MZ Wiztown Planners Pvt Ltd for alleged violations of environmental and pollution laws in connection with a large waterlogged pit in Sector 150, which led to the death of a software engineer, officials said on Thursday.

The FIR has been lodged even as a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday continued its probe into the matter on the third day.

Officials aware of the developments said the SIT has sought details from various departments of the Noida Authority, including civil, projects, and traffic cell, about works done in Sector 150, particularly around the spot where the software engineer died.

The three-member team has to submit its report to the government by Saturday, SIT head ADG (Meerut Zone) Bhanu Bhaskar had told reporters on the first day of inspections here.

On Wednesday, a fresh case was registered at the Knowledge Park police station against Abhay Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Manish Kumar, Anchal Bohra and Nirmal Kumar under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Sections 24 and 43 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Sections 290, 270 and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), according to the FIR.

In the complaint, local sub-inspector Regal Kumar said that during patrolling on January 20, a "very large and wide pit" was found at plot number SC-02/A3 in Sector 150, close to a public road. The pit appeared to have been excavated using heavy machinery and had remained filled with water for several years, it said.

The FIR noted that the pit is very deep and that prolonged stagnation of water has led to severe pollution, with the water turning muddy. It added that rainwater had carried garbage into the pit, contributing to air pollution and posing risks to public health and safety.

Police further noted that no fencing, warning signs or other safety measures were found around the pit. Leaving such a large, open and waterlogged pit near a public road for a long period posed a serious threat to human life and increased the risk of major accidents, the FIR stated, terming it a public nuisance.

The FIR also mentioned that the construction sites were located close to the pit, indicating violations of construction management norms. Locals have also complained that the foul smell from the stagnant water makes breathing difficult when the wind blows towards residential areas.

During the inquiry, police found that the plot was purchased from the Noida Authority in 2014 by Lotus Greens Construction Pvt Ltd and was later acquired in 2020 by Wiztown. The FIR also stated that Lotus Greens Construction continues to hold a share in the property.

"The FIR has been registered against five builders; further investigation is on," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Hemant Upadhyay said.

The police had registered the first FIR in the case on January 18 based on the complaint of the deceased software engineer Yuvraj Mehta's father against MZ Wiztown Planners and Lotus Greens under provisions related to negligence, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and endangering life.

The police on Tuesday arrested Abhay Kumar, the director of MZ Wiztown Planners, who was remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday, officials said.