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.
Attack on suspicion
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.
Protests erupt
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.
Legal action sought
The protesters demanded legal action against Metro Waste Handling Pvt. Ltd. and alleged that there had been a delay in taking Anil to the hospital after the attack.
“Anil was conscious and able to stand even after being stabbed. The tipper driver [Gulshan] called the department seeking help and an ambulance, but no one came. He eventually had to take Anil to the hospital. The delay worsened his situation,” said Saurabh Dhama, Anil’s colleague.
Mr. Dhama also alleged that workplace accidents and violence were common among sanitation workers and that the company had not been responsive to their concerns. “At least three workers were injured recently. But the company has never taken responsibility or been responsive to the workers and, in fact, removes them from work,” he said, pointing to a finger he said had been severed in an accident at work.
Rajkumar Dhingan, president of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi Samast Union Core Committee, which represents sanitation and civic workers on matters concerning their rights and negotiations, said the incident had highlighted the need to regularise the working conditions of contractual sanitation workers.
“The company is receiving ₹24,000 per month for each employee from the MCD but is paying them only between ₹14,000 and ₹18,000. Why are the complete benefits not being passed on to the workers?” he said.
Mr. Dhingan demanded that sanitation workers be made permanent and receive full benefits and sought action against the company.
‘Disciplined and responsible’
Family members described Anil as disciplined, calm, and responsible and said he had no known past enmity with anyone. His colleagues described him as an “elder brother” and an efficient worker who remained focused on his duties.
Anil was the sole breadwinner of his family and earned around ₹18,000 a month. One of four siblings, he supported his elderly parents. His elder brother is unable to work because of health issues, while one of his sisters is still young and another recently got married
Published – August 17, 2026 12:51 pm IST
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