Former Delhi Bureaucrat Found Dead in Noida: Rakesh Mehta, who served as Delhi Chief Secretary from 2007 to 2010, was found dead at his Sector 82 flat while his wife was away in Dehradun.
BY PC Bureau
September 8, 2026: Former Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta, a 1975-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, was found dead at his Noida residence on Sunday, September 6, in an apparent suicide. He was 74.
Mehta was found hanging from a ceiling fan inside his flat at Kendriya Vihar-2 Society in Sector 82, after Noida Police were alerted through the Dial-112 emergency helpline. Officers from the Phase-2 police station reached the residence and found the door locked from inside. They broke open the door and recovered the body.
A forensic team examined the scene and collected evidence. Police also recovered a purported suicide note in which Mehta reportedly referred to mental stress and physical health problems as reasons for taking the extreme step.
His wife, Sumanti Mehta, was in Dehradun visiting their son when the incident occurred. She became concerned after Mehta failed to respond to repeated telephone calls and alerted the authorities.
Originally from Dehradun, Mehta had reportedly been living alone in the Noida apartment for around five years. Following inquest proceedings and a post-mortem examination, his body was handed over to the family. He was cremated on Monday at the Lodhi Road crematorium in Delhi.
Police said they are examining the circumstances surrounding his death and investigating the case from all angles.
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Three decades in public service
Mehta spent more than three decades in the civil services, holding several senior administrative positions, particularly in Delhi. He served as Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and also held the post of Power Secretary during a period of major changes in Delhi’s electricity sector.
He was associated with reforms in property taxation, including the introduction of the unit-area method of assessment, a system aimed at reducing discretion in tax assessment and improving transparency.
#नोएडा BIG BREAKING
दिल्ली के पूर्व मुख्य सचिव राकेश मेहता का नोएडा में निधन। सेक्टर-82 स्थित केंद्रीय विहार-2 सोसाइटी के फ्लैट के अंदर उनका शव मिला। स्थानीय लोगों से सूचना मिलने के बाद थाना फेस-2 पुलिस मौके पर पहुंची। पुलिस ने शव को कब्जे में लेकर जांच शुरू कर दी है। मौके से एक… pic.twitter.com/1N0FhQ3srv
— निशान्त शर्मा (भारद्वाज) (@Nishantjournali) September 8, 2026
In the transport sector, Mehta served as Principal Secretary and later as Chairman and Managing Director of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). He was involved in plans to phase out the older Blue Line buses and introduce low-floor buses, with about 2,500 low-floor buses reportedly added to the fleet during his tenure in the department.
His administrative career also included involvement in flyover construction and other civic infrastructure projects.
Mehta became Chief Secretary of Delhi in 2007, during the tenure of then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, and remained in the post until his retirement in November 2010.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, hosted by Delhi during his tenure as Chief Secretary, involved extensive infrastructure and civic works across the capital. Former colleagues remembered Mehta as an efficient and reform-oriented administrator who encouraged new ideas and placed emphasis on implementation.
Education and background
Mehta studied at St Stephen’s College, Delhi, where he completed his BA Honours, followed by an MA from Jawaharlal Nehru University and an MSc from the London School of Economics.
The Noida Phase-2 police station is continuing its investigation, including examination of the purported suicide note, forensic evidence and other circumstances surrounding the death.
