Kalyanpuri sanitation worker killing: accused arrested, protest intensifies outside hospital

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Sanitation workers stage a protest following the murder of a sanitation worker in Kalyanpuri, in New Delhi, on Monday, August 17, 2026. | Photo Credit: Lavpreet Kaur

The Delhi police on Monday arrested Nihal, 52, a sanitation worker and resident of Trilokpuri, in connection with the murder of 27-year-old fellow sanitation worker Anil Kumar, whom he allegedly stabbed to death in Kalyanpuri on Sunday, an officer said.

The killing triggered a protest by at least 1,000 sanitation workers and auto-tipper drivers, who gathered outside Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in east Delhi on Monday, demanding ₹1 crore in compensation for Anil’s family, a permanent MCD job for a family member and action against his employer, Metro Waste Handling Pvt. Ltd.

East Delhi DCP Rajeev Kumar said Mr. Nihal had gone to attack a tipper driver, Gulshan, whom he suspected of having an illicit relationship with his wife, who also works as a sanitation worker with the same company. “Nihal had earlier warned the tipper driver and had also asked Anil to counsel him against meeting or communicating with his wife,” the DCP said.

The DCP said Mr. Nihal was allegedly carrying a knife when he went to confront Mr. Gulshan. “In a fit of rage, he went to attack the driver. The driver was standing around 50-60 metres away from the tipper. Nihal, who was in an inebriated condition, ended up stabbing Anil,” the DCP said, adding that further investigation was under way.

According to the police, the attack was captured on CCTV footage, which showed a man in a yellow T-shirt approaching Anil from behind at around 8.15 a.m. on Sunday, grabbing him by the collar and repeatedly stabbing him before walking away. Anil was rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

On Monday, heavy police deployment was put in place at the hospital, with at least 200 Central Reserve Police Force personnel deployed alongside the Delhi police. The protest disrupted garbage collection in parts of north Delhi, with workers warning that the agitation would be expanded across the city Tuesday onwards if their demands were not met.

Anil’s family, meanwhile, has refused to collect his body from the hospital mortuary despite the arrest of the accused. “He had left home around 5 a.m. with his lunch to report for duty at 5.30 a.m., as usual. Who would have thought he would never come back?” said Sunita, Anil’s sister.

She said the family received a call from the police around 8 a.m. informing them that Anil had been in an accident. “Only when we reached, did we find out that he was dead,” she added.

“He was caught off guard. He did not even fight back. We do not know who did this or why, but we want him to be hanged,” said Anil’s cousin sister, who requested anonymity. She said action should also be taken against the bystanders who witnessed the incident but did not intervene.

The protesters demanded legal action against Metro Waste Handling Pvt. Ltd.