New Delhi: Former Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta, a 1975-batch IAS officer who headed the capital’s administration during the 2010 Commonwealth Games, died by suicide at his Noida residence, officials said. He was around 74–75.
Mehta was found hanging from a ceiling fan inside his flat in the Kendriya Vihar-2 Society in Sector 82 on September 6. Police said they received a Dial-112 alert and a team from the Phase-2 police station reached the complex quickly. The door was locked from the inside; officers broke it open to enter and recovered the body, as reported by India Today.
A purported suicide note was found at the scene. In the note, Mehta reportedly referred to “mental and health issues” as reasons for taking the extreme step, officials said. 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 answer her calls and alerted the complex, which led to the police being informed. Investigators are now examining the contents of the note, forensic findings and other evidence from the residence to establish the circumstances leading to his death.
Following the inquest and post-mortem, the body was handed over to the family. Mehta was cremated at the Lodhi Road crematorium on Monday.
The case is being investigated by the Noida Phase-2 police station. Officials said further details would emerge as the probe progresses.