Rakesh Mehta took over as Delhi’s Chief Secretary in 2007 during the Sheila Dikshit government. File.
| Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma
Former Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta was found dead at his rented residence in Noida’s Sector 82 on Sunday (September 6, 2026) afternoon, with police recovering a note that cited “prolonged illness” as the reason for the extreme step.
According to a Phase 2 police official, the incident came to light after Mr. Mehta’s wife, who lives in Dehradun, was unable to contact him and alerted the police. A police team reached his residence in Kendriya Vihar 2 Society and found dead.
The 1975-batch IAS officer had been living alone in the rented accommodation. His wife, also a retired IAS officer, lives in Dehradun, their hometown, along with their children.
Police said Mr. Mehta had been suffering from hypertension and diabetes and preferred to live alone. “He preferred to live alone. A note was recovered from the spot, in which he mentioned this prolonged illness as the reason for taking the extreme step,” a police official said.
The body was sent for postmortem examination and was subsequently handed over to the family. Mr. Mehta was cremated at the Lodhi Road crematorium on Monday (September 7, 2026).
Mr. Mehta took over as Delhi’s Chief Secretary in 2007 during the Sheila Dikshit government and served in the post until his retirement in November 2010. During his career, he held several key positions in the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
Police said further investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death is underway.
Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the Tele-MANAS 14416 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.
Published – September 09, 2026 07:12 am IST
