Former Niti Aayog employee dies in freak accident while cycling home from LSE in London
A 33-year-old Indian student was run over by a truck while cycling back to her London home last week.
Cheistha Kochhar was pursuing her PhD at the London School of Economics and was earlier part of NITI Aayog. Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog, shared the news of her death in an online post.
“Cheistha Kochhar worked with me on the #LIFE programme in @NITIAayog. She was in the #Nudge unit and had gone to do her Ph.D in behavioural science at #LSE. Passed away in a terrible traffic incident while cycling in London. She was bright, brilliant & brave and always full of life. Gone away too early. RIP,” wrote Mr Kant on X.
According to The London Evening Standard, the incident happened at around 8.30 pm (local time) on March 19. Following the accident, police and paramedics were called to the spot between Farringdon and Clerkenwell, and Cheistha Kochhar was found grievously injured.
Quoting the Metropolitan Police, The London Evening Standard reported that despite efforts from emergency services, the 33-year-old died at the scene.
The driver of the truck stopped at the scene and is currently helping police with enquiries, the report added, citing a police spokesman.
No arrest has been made in the case so far.
Police officers have appealed for witnesses of the collision to come forward or who has dashcam footage of what happened to get in touch.
Kochhar was the daughter of retired Lieutenant General Dr SP Kochhar, Director General at Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
“I am still in London trying to collect the remains of my daughter, Cheistha Kochhar. She was run over by a truck on 19 Mar while cycling back from LSE, where she was doing her PhD. It has devasted us and her large circle of friends,” he wrote.
Kochhar, who earlier lived in Gurugram, moved to London last September to pursue a PhD in organizational behaviour management at the London School of Economics. She earlier studied at Delhi University, Ashoka University, and the Universities of Pennsylvania and Chicago. She was a senior advisor at the National Behavioural Insights Unit of India at NITI Aayog during 2021-23, according to her LinkedIn profile.
