In a shocking incident, an officer of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) died by suicide by jumping off a building in Chanakyapuri area on Friday. “The deceased has been identified as Jitendra Rawat (42). He was staying on the first floor but went to the fourth floor of the building and jumped. We have not recovered any suicide note from the spot,” the police said.
It was further informed that he was troubled for the past few days. According to the police, the officer was a director at the Overseas Employments and Protectorate General of Emigrants in the Ministry of External Affairs. Besides Belgium, he also had a posting in Myanmar.
Police said the incident occurred around 6.20 am on Friday. Neighbours alerted the authorities, and a team from the local police station rushed to the scene.The officer was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead. According to police, he lived with his mother on the first floor of the building. No suicide note was found. The police has recovered the body and has sent it for postmortem.
According to police, Rawat was suffering from depression and was undergoing treatment. Rawat is survived by his wife and two children, all three of whom live in Dehradun in Uttarakhand. Only his mother was at home when he died. His wife lives in Dehradun and is coming to Delhi,” police said, adding that they are still ascertaining the reason behind the extreme step. The government officer lived on the first floor of a four-storey building.
Police confirmed the death and said no foul play was suspected. Authorities are currently probing the circumstances leading to the incident. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a statement said, “An officer of the Ministry of External Affairs passed away in the morning of March 07, 2025, in New Delhi. The Ministry is providing all possible assistance to the family and is in touch with the Delhi Police.”
“The Ministry stands with the family in this hour of grief and difficulty. Further details are not being released bearing in mind the need to respect the family’s privacy in this time of bereavement,” MEA added. Chanakyapuri, known as the diplomatic enclave of Delhi, houses various embassies and government offices.