Meghalaya principal secretary Syed Md A Razi found dead in Uzbek hotel

SHILLONG: Meghalaya's principal secretary Syed Md A Razi was allegedly found dead inside his hotel room in Uzbekistan on Monday, officials said. It is suspected that he died of cardiac arrest.

Razi, an IRTS officer on deputation to the state since 2021, was in Uzbekistan's Bukhara city on a personal visit since April 4. The hotel staff broke open the door and found Razi dead after he did not respond to calls in the morning. Razi's wife, an officer in the central govt, has gone to Uzbekistan to bring back his mortal remains.

Razi, who was in-charge of PHE and PWD, had served as director of the Jal Jeevan Mission , under which the state achieved significant progress in providing safe drinking water to the people. The Union govt had recently approved an extension of his tenure in Meghalaya for another year.

CM Conrad Sangma, his ministers and MLAs expressed profound sorrow at Razi's death and praised his contributions. Paying tributes, the CM said, "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."