Actor Abhinav Shukla calls out NDRF failure: ‘Why do these departments even exist?’ after engineer’s death

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New Delhi: Actor Abhinav Shukla has sparked outrage after blasting NDRF, the fire department, and authorities for failing to save a 27-year-old software engineer whose car plunged into a water-filled pit in Greater Noida.

In a fiery video on X, he demands resignations, questioning why taxpayer-funded teams watched helplessly while a Flipkart delivery guy risked his life. What went wrong in those agonising two hours?

 The heartbreaking incident

Yuvraj Mehra’s car collided with a construction site wall and sank into a deep, water-filled pit in Greater Noida’s Sector 150. The 27-year-old software engineer, who did not know how to swim, climbed onto the roof of his submerged vehicle and fought for nearly 90 minutes to stay alive. He alerted his father via WhatsApp with his location, flashed his phone torch through thick fog, and cried for help, but dense fog, extreme cold, and poor visibility hampered efforts.

Abhinav Shukla’s explosive outburst

Sharing a video on X, Abhinav Shukla detailed the tragedy, stating, “In the tragic case of Yuvraj Mehra, a young boy’s car plunged into the water-filled pit after colliding with a construction site wall. Following the accident, he immediately alerted the fire department, the police, and the NDRF. While all these agencies arrived at the scene with cranes and ropes, not a single professional rescuer entered the water to save him. For two agonising hours, the boy stood atop his submerged car, shouting for help and struggling to survive”.

He continued, “It is appalling that these departments — whose sole mandate is to rescue and protect — stood by as mere spectators. In a shocking turn of events, it was a Flipkart delivery person who showed true bravery, tying himself to a rope and entering the water to reach the boy. Ultimately, however, the rescue failed”. Abhinav praised the delivery agent, saying, “Bravo that Flip-cart Delivery guy who tried!” while slamming the officials.

Calls for Accountability

Abhinav captioned his post: “Shame NDRF, Shame Fire Dept, Shame on authorities, you couldn’t save a young kid! I wonder why your departments even exist if you cannot do a basic job for which you train your entire life with taxpayers’ money! He demanded, “I believe the personnel involved should resign immediately. The government must re-evaluate why taxpayer money is being funnelled into departments that fail to execute fundamental rescue operations. It is a disgrace. Authorities need to overhaul their recruitment and training processes to ensure that those tasked with saving lives possess the courage and competence to do so. If these departments cannot fulfil their purpose in a crisis, their very existence must be questioned,” the actor added.

Delivery Hero’s brave attempt

The Flipkart delivery person, identified as Moninder, recounted tying a rope around his waist and diving into the cold water for about 30 minutes to search for Yuvraj. “I searched for the youth and his car for around 30 minutes,” Moninder told reporters. He alleged rescue teams hesitated due to cold water, poor visibility, and iron rods, claiming, “if the rescue team reached him before, he could have been saved”. Despite coordinated efforts by the fire department, SDRF, NDRF, and police, the five-hour operation failed.

 Official response and public anger

Noida Authority took action, terminating junior engineer Naveen Kumar and issuing show-cause notices to traffic officials for negligence in site safety. Yuvraj’s father accused teams of refusing to enter the water, saying, “They said water was too cold”. Residents protested, calling it a recurring issue at construction sites, fueling demands for better preparedness. The incident has ignited debates on emergency response efficacy amid harsh weather.