Shillong, April 7: Meghalaya principal secretary in-charge PHE and PWD, Syed Md. A Razi was found dead in a hotel room in Uzbekistan, on Monday.
Since April 4, Razi was on a holiday in Bukhara, Uzbekistan around 8 hours from Tashkent.
An official said as he didn’t respond to calls in the morning, the staff of the hotel in Bukhara had to break open the door.
He probably died of cardiac arrest but the actual reason is yet to be ascertained.
Meghalaya government is in touch with Uzbekistan embassy and his wife has left for Bukhara.
Razi from Indian Railway Traffic Service(IRTS) was posted in Shillong after his wife Shefali S Andaleeb was transferred to the office of Accountant General here. She was later transferred to Delhi.
Terming the incident as unfortunate, PHE Minister Marcuise Marak said that when he called him on April 4, he was already in Uzbekistan and it was a personal holiday.
Sources said he had taken holiday for two weeks.
This is the second case of death of a senior government official due to cardiac arrest in less than two years after the death of Manjunatha C, secretary of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department on October 10, 2023.
Manjunatha from Indian Forest Service(IFS) was alone at his official residence here and his wife was at his native place in Karnataka.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma condoled the death of Razi.
“Razi’s incredible efficiency and unwavering dedication were evident in every department he handled, and he always took on each task with a level of ownership that inspired those around him. But beyond his work ethic, Razi was a warm, jolly soul who brought light to everyone he met. He was deeply loved and respected by his peers, and his absence leaves a profound void in all of us. My thoughts and deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace, dear Razi” Sangma said.
