New Delhi, Aug 6 - The body of a 44-year-old Delhi government official was found in her smashed car in northwest Delhi's Rohini area Thursday morning, police said.

Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Neera Kharbanda was found lying dead at 7.15 a.m. in her heavily damaged car that looked as if it had been in an accident. Kharbanda was posted as Model Town SDM.

'The window screen and bumper of the car were badly damaged and primarily it seems that the car collided with a heavy vehicle. A bottle of liquor was also recovered from the car,' a police official said.

Family members said Kharbanda had called them late Wednesday saying she was depressed and was going for a drive. Police are awaiting the autopsy report to ascertain the cause of her death.

A resident of Paschim Vihar in west Delhi, Kharbanda was separated from her husband and was living alone.