Retired IAS officer Rakesh Mehta, who once headed the bureaucratic machinery of the national capital as Delhi’s chief secretary, was found dead at his residence in Noida on Sunday, September 6. He was 75. His body was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his rented flat. Police said the veteran administrator died by suicide and that a note recovered from the scene pointed at prolonged health troubles rather than any dispute or grievance.
Mehta belonged to the 1975 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and was among the more prominent civil servants to have shaped Delhi’s governance over the last two decades. He rose to the top administrative post in the Delhi government in 2007 and held it for over three years, a tenure that coincided with a wave of infrastructure expansion in the city, including preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Also read & WATCH: Delhi building collapse toll 7; HC says municipal corporation and Delhi University responsible for tragedy
Earlier in his career, Mehta also headed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) as its Commissioner. He worked closely with former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit of Congress through much of this period, becoming one of the administration’s most recognisable faces during that era of large-scale civic projects.
Mehta’s body was discovered inside his flat, and investigators later found a handwritten note running to a single page, composed in English. In it, he purportedly explained that he had been battling a string of medical issues — high blood pressure, diabetes, and tremors affecting his hands and legs — and that the cumulative strain of these conditions had worn him down mentally. Crucially, the note made clear that he did not blame anyone else for what he was about to do, said Delhi Police sources.
The discovery was made on Sunday afternoon. Concern had built up earlier in the day when Mehta’s wife, Sumanti Mehta, herself a retired IAS officer, tried to reach him by phone from out of town and got no answer despite several attempts.
The former bureaucrat had been residing in a rented apartment at the Kendriya Vihar-2 complex in Sector 82, Noida, a home he had occupied for roughly five years. It was here that his wife’s repeated, unanswered calls eventually prompted outside intervention.
“Unable to get through, she contacted the building’s security staff and asked them to check on the apartment. When they, too, got no response, the matter was escalated to us (police). We entered the flat and confirmed that Mehta had died. Family members travelled to Noida once they were informed. His last rites were subsequently held in Delhi on Monday,” said a Delhi Police official.
Police sources said the note left behind attributes the decision squarely to Mehta’s deteriorating physical health and the psychological toll it had taken over time, rather than to any external circumstance, professional or personal. He is described in the note as having reached a point where the combination of chronic ailments became difficult to bear.
Beyond confirming that Mehta died by suicide at his residence, police have not detailed the exact means, focusing instead on the contents of the note as the primary evidence explaining his state of mind.
Originally from Dehradun, Mehta was married to Sumanti Mehta, herself a retired IAS officer who served in the Delhi cadre. She was in Dehradun at the time, visiting their son, who is currently pursuing a doctoral degree there. The couple’s daughter lives in London, having settled there after her marriage.
Also read: Ayodhya Ram temple trust gets retired Air Force fighter pilot Jeetendra Mishra as CEO
Colleagues and observers of Delhi’s administrative history will remember Mehta chiefly for the civic transformation the city underwent during his time as Chief Secretary — a period marked by transport upgrades, power-sector reforms and the infrastructure push tied to hosting the Commonwealth Games. His death has drawn attention once again to the pressures that can accompany long-term illness, even for those who spent careers managing large public systems. 
(If anyone anywhere across India is experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts, they can contact the following helplines: Tele-MANAS – 14416; Sahaaya – 080 25497777 or 98864 44075.)
