Former Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta, who served during the tenure of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, allegedly died by at his residence in Noida, officials said on Tuesday.
Police recovered what they described as a purported suicide note from the residence. Mehta, a former 1975-batch IAS officer, reportedly mentioned his “mental and health issues” as the reasons for taking the extreme step. His body was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his Sector 82 residence in Noida on September 6, according to officials.
Mehta was 74 and served as Delhi’s chief secretary for more than three years during Dikshit’s tenure. The 2010 Commonwealth Games in the national capital were organised during his tenure as the senior-most bureaucrat in the Delhi government.
Mehta was associated with the implementation of several major transport, power and civic infrastructure projects in Delhi.
During his long administrative career, he held several positions in the Delhi government and also served as commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), according to his former colleagues.
He assumed charge as Delhi’s chief secretary in 2007 and continued in the position until his retirement in November 2010.
Mehta’s death has been mourned by former colleagues and members of the administrative community who worked with him during his years in government.
His last rites were performed at the Lodhi Road crematorium in Delhi on Monday.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death and have recovered the purported as part of the inquiry.
