Hyderabad: A sudden tragedy unfolded at the Telangana Legislative Assembly complex on Tuesday when Raju, the Personal Secretary (PS) to senior IAS officer Navin Mittal, collapsed and fell unconscious while on duty.
Animal Husbandry Minister Vakiti Srihari, who was present at the Assembly, immediately rushed to help Raju and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in an attempt to revive him.
The minister also summoned medical personnel and arranged for Raju to be shifted to a hospital by ambulance. However, Raju was declared dead at the hospital. Local reports have attributed the collapse to a suspected cardiac arrest, though an official medical cause of death was not immediately available.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the Telangana Secretariat, where Raju was known as a dedicated and efficient employee who had worked closely with senior officials.
Minister Vakiti Srihari Administers CPR
According to reports, Raju suddenly collapsed inside the Assembly premises on Tuesday.
Upon noticing him unconscious on the floor, Minister Vakiti Srihari immediately intervened and began administering CPR. The minister continued the resuscitation effort while medical assistance was being summoned.
Medical personnel were subsequently called to the spot and arrangements were made to shift Raju to a hospital.
Despite these efforts, his condition could not be stabilised and he was declared dead after being taken to the hospital. Reports said he had suffered a cardiac arrest, although the exact medical cause should be confirmed by the hospital or authorities.
The incident was also captured on video, showing the minister attempting to revive the collapsed staffer before medical personnel arrived.
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Who Was Raju, Navin Mittal’s Personal Secretary?
Raju served as the Personal Secretary to Navin Mittal, the senior IAS officer heading Telangana’s Energy Department.
A long-serving employee of the Telangana Secretariat Service, Raju largely worked away from the public spotlight. His responsibilities involved supporting a senior bureaucrat in day-to-day administrative work and coordinating official engagements.
Colleagues remembered him as a conscientious, calm and efficient employee who was known for being helpful and disciplined.
His responsibilities also brought him into contact with senior officials during important government programmes and Legislative Assembly sessions.
His sudden death while performing official duties has therefore deeply affected colleagues and other Secretariat employees.
Grief at Telangana Secretariat
Raju’s death has left the Telangana Secretariat Employees’ Association and his colleagues in mourning.
Those who worked with him remembered him as an employee who was committed to his responsibilities and readily assisted colleagues in administrative matters.
The circumstances of his death — a sudden collapse inside the Assembly premises followed by an unsuccessful attempt at resuscitation — have added to the shock among government employees.
What Is CPR?
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure used when a person is unresponsive and is not breathing normally or when the heart has stopped effectively pumping blood.
CPR, primarily through chest compressions and, where appropriate, rescue breaths, helps maintain blood circulation to vital organs until advanced medical care becomes available.
In suspected cardiac arrest, immediate CPR and activation of emergency medical services are critical. CPR is an emergency measure and does not replace definitive hospital treatment.
In Raju’s case, Minister Vakiti Srihari began CPR immediately after finding him unconscious and also arranged for medical assistance and hospital transport.
Who Is IAS Officer Navin Mittal?
Navin Mittal is a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre and a senior bureaucrat with more than three decades of administrative experience.
The Telangana government’s official portal currently lists Navin Mittal, IAS, as Special Chief Secretary to Government and Head of Department in the Energy Department.
Mittal was born on October 1, 1973, and his service records identify Punjab as his domicile. He holds a B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Delhi and entered the IAS through direct recruitment following the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
He has held around 14 recorded postings during his career, working across several areas including education, urban administration, revenue, land administration and energy.
Navin Mittal’s UPSC Success and IAS Career
Mr Mittal’s civil services journey began with the 1995 Civil Services Examination, in which he secured All India Rank 3, according to profiles and an archived account of the examination results. He subsequently joined the IAS and was allotted the Andhra Pradesh cadre, which later became part of the Telangana cadre following bifurcation.
His educational background in computer science has also been reflected in several of his administrative assignments, where technology and process re-engineering became important elements of his work.
Over the years, he has served in both field and policy-level positions, including as a district collector and in senior state government departments.
From District Administration to Senior Secretariat Roles
Earlier in his career, Mittal served as Collector of Hyderabad and Krishna districts and also held urban administration responsibilities.
He served as Special Commissioner of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and as Commissioner of the Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation.
He also held positions as Commissioner of Information and Public Relations and in state government departments dealing with finance, municipal administration and urban development.
These assignments gave him experience in both grassroots administration and policy formulation.
Major Role in Telangana Higher Education Reforms
One of the longest and most prominent phases of Mittal’s career was his tenure in Collegiate and Technical Education.
He served as Commissioner of Collegiate Education and Technical Education for several years and became closely associated with efforts to modernise government higher education in Telangana.
Among the initiatives associated with his tenure was Degree Online Services, Telangana (DOST), an online platform designed to streamline degree admissions.
Official Telangana education documents from the period identify Navin Mittal as Commissioner of Collegiate Education and show his involvement in the DOST admission process.
According to the Indian School of Business/IFHE profile of Mittal, his tenure in higher education was marked by curriculum reforms, increased emphasis on employability and the use of technology in admissions and administration.
Revenue and Land Administration
In January 2023, Mittal was appointed Principal Secretary of Land Revenue and Registration, taking charge of one of Telangana’s key administrative departments.
He remained in the revenue portfolio until the major bureaucratic reshuffle in June 2025, when he was shifted to the Energy Department as Principal Secretary.
The move came amid a broader reshuffle of senior IAS officers in Telangana.
Current Role in Energy Department
Mittal has been heading the Energy Department since June 2025 and is now designated Special Chief Secretary.
The Telangana government’s official Energy Department page identifies him as its Special Chief Secretary and Head of Department.
The department oversees several important energy-sector institutions, while Mittal also serves in key government-related roles connected with the state’s energy ecosystem. The official Singareni Collieries website, for instance, lists him as a member representing the Energy Department of the Telangana government.
His current responsibilities come at a time when Telangana is planning significant expansion of its energy infrastructure and renewable-energy capacity to meet growing demand.
Legal Scrutiny Over Earlier Land Matters
Mittal’s career has also come under judicial scrutiny in connection with land-related matters from his earlier tenure as Hyderabad District Collector.
In June 2025, the Telangana High Court issued notices to Mittal in petitions concerning a land dispute dating back to 2011. The petitioner alleged that an NOC relating to her land had been issued during Mittal’s tenure as Hyderabad Collector. The notices sought responses to the allegations; they should not be treated as a finding of wrongdoing against the officer.
A separate land-related case was also reported in December 2025 involving allegations concerning Bhoodan land and actions of officials, including Mittal. The Telangana High Court ordered further proceedings after setting aside a magistrate’s refusal to act on the complaint. These remain matters of legal proceedings and allegations rather than established findings of misconduct.
Raju’s Sudden Death Leaves Officials in Shock
While Navin Mittal is a senior and publicly visible bureaucrat, Raju was part of the administrative workforce that operates largely behind the scenes.
As Mittal’s personal secretary, he worked closely with the officer and handled important coordination responsibilities within the Secretariat.
His sudden collapse at the Assembly, followed by the immediate CPR attempt by Minister Vakiti Srihari and subsequent hospitalisation, has left government employees deeply shaken.
Raju’s death is being mourned by his colleagues and members of the Secretariat establishment, who remember him as a disciplined and dedicated employee.
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