Former Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta dies by suicide, note found: Officials
The door of Mehta's flat was locked from inside, following which the police broke it open to enter the premises. His body was subsequently recovered from inside the residence.
Former Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta, a 1975-batch IAS officer who served as the city’s top bureaucrat during the 2010 Commonwealth Games, allegedly died by suicide at his residence in Noida, officials said. Mehta, who was around 74–75-years-old, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his flat in Kendriya Vihar-2 Society in Sector 82 on September 6.
Police said they received information about the incident through Dial-112 and a team from the Phase-2 police station reached the residential complex soon after.
The door of Mehta’s flat was locked from inside, following which the police broke it open to enter the premises. His body was subsequently recovered from inside the residence.
A purported suicide note was also found at the scene, according to police. In the note, Mehta reportedly referred to "mental and health issues" as reasons behind the extreme step. A forensic team examined the flat and collected evidence as part of the initial investigation.
At the time of the incident, Mehta’s wife, Sumanti Mehta, was in Dehradun visiting their son. She became concerned after her husband repeatedly failed to respond to her calls.
The circumstances surrounding his death are being examined by the police, who are also looking into the contents of the note and other evidence gathered from the residence.
Following the completion of the inquest proceedings and post-mortem examination, Mehta’s body was handed over to his family. He was cremated at the Lodhi Road crematorium on Monday.
Mehta served as Delhi’s chief secretary from 2007 until his retirement in November 2010 during the tenure of former chief minister Sheila Dikshit.
His tenure coincided with the preparations for and organisation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, when the Delhi administration was handling several major infrastructure and civic projects.
During his career, Mehta held several important positions in the Delhi government and also served as commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Former colleagues recalled his role in overseeing key transport, power and civic infrastructure initiatives in the national capital.
The former bureaucrat's death is being investigated by the Noida Phase-2 police station. Police are expected to examine the suicide note, forensic findings and other available evidence to establish the circumstances leading to Mehta’s death.
Officials said further details would emerge as the investigation progresses.