lit a candle 18h agoNot someone I followed regularly, I only caught her Parliament clips shared online now and then, but she asked sharp follow up questions when the ministers tried to dodge. That takes nerve on live television. 46 is no age at all.
Their story
Payal Mehta was an Indian television journalist who spent her career covering Parliament, the Union government and national politics for Network18, most recently as Assistant Editor at CNN-News18. She died on the night of 19 to 20 September 2026 in Mumbai at the age of 46, days after formally rejoining…
Payal Mehta was an Indian television journalist who spent her career covering Parliament, the Union government and national politics for Network18, most recently as Assistant Editor at CNN-News18. She died on the night of 19 to 20 September 2026 in Mumbai at the age of 46, days after formally rejoining the network she had worked for earlier in her career.
Mehta was a familiar face in the parliamentary press corps in New Delhi. She was known for her coverage of Parliament and national politics, and had spent years reporting on the Union government, political parties, elections and public policy. She was among the journalists accredited to cover Parliament, a status that reflected the trust she had built with sources across party lines over a long career in Delhi's political press corps.
Her reporting stayed current until the very end. In the days before she died she was still filing stories, including a report on the government's plans around motorsports and a separate piece on Meta's cooperation with law enforcement on child safety. Just a day before the news of her death broke, a media trade publication reported that she had returned to Network18 to take up the Assistant Editor post at CNN-News18, a role that marked a new chapter in a career she had built largely within that same organisation.
Mehta's death came suddenly. Multiple outlets reported that she developed uneasiness late Saturday night and was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A colleague, the journalist Sheela Bhatt, wrote on social media that Mehta had been visiting Mumbai when she fell unwell and was taken to hospital around 2 a.m., where her pulse reportedly stopped before doctors could begin treatment. No hospital or family statement has given an official medical cause, and news organisations covering the story have been careful to note that the reported loss of pulse should not be read as confirmation of a specific diagnosis such as a heart attack without an official medical statement.
Her death drew an outpouring of grief from across India's political spectrum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote that Payal Mehta Ji was a hardworking journalist who remained firmly connected to the ground, bringing a deep understanding of national issues to her reporting, adding that beyond her work she will be remembered for the kindness and warmth with which she touched so many lives. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu also mourned her, recalling her sincerity and that she never hesitated to go the extra mile for a story. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president J.P. Nadda, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other public figures also paid tribute, reflecting the wide network of political contacts she had built over years of ground reporting.
Biography adapted from News reports including KalingaTV and tributes from Narendra Modi, N. Chandrababu Naidu, Rajnath Singh, J.P. Nadda and Rahul Gandhi; death reported via bestmediainfo.com and Indian media.
In their own words
“Payal Mehta Ji was a hardworking journalist who remained firmly connected to the ground, bringing a deep understanding of national issues to her reporting.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tribute on X, 20 September 2026
“Saddened by the untimely demise of journalist Payal Mehta ji, who covered Parliament. My sincere condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.”
Rahul Gandhi, tribute on X, 20 September 2026
“Payal was a sincere and dedicated journalist who always went the extra mile for a story.”
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, tribute on X, 20 September 2026
Photos
1Payal Mehta, Indian journalist and CNN-News18 Assistant Editor
by People Forever
From social media
9Posts by Payal, and posts about them, kept here so they are not lost.