Former Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta passes away

Police recovered a note in which he mentioned health and mental issues as the reason for taking the extreme step. His body was discovered on September 6, and the last rites were performed on Sunday.

A 1975-batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service, Mehta had a long association with the Delhi administration. He served under former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in different capacities over the years. Before becoming chief secretary, he had also held the important post of Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, where he dealt with a wide range of civic issues in the capital.

Mehta assumed charge as chief secretary of Delhi in 2007 and remained in the position for more than three years. During this period, he was closely associated with the planning and execution of several major projects in the transport, power and civic infrastructure sectors. These initiatives were aimed at improving public services and modernising the city’s basic amenities at a time when Delhi was preparing for a high-profile international event.

The Commonwealth Games of 2010 were organised in the national capital during his tenure as chief secretary. The successful conduct of the games required extensive coordination across multiple departments of the Delhi government, and Mehta’s role in the administrative machinery during that phase was widely acknowledged by those who worked with him.

Those familiar with his career remembered him as a senior officer who had spent a significant part of his professional life in the service of Delhi.

According to police, the case is being treated as suicide on the basis of the note found at the residence and the circumstances of the death. Further formalities are being completed as per procedure.