Hundreds of sanitation workers protest over Kalyanpuri killing, demand compensation

Hundreds of sanitation workers and auto-tipper drivers from across Delhi protested at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital on Monday over the killing of a on-duty sanitation worker in Kalyanpuri, and demanded Rs 1 crore compensation and a permanent government job for a member of his family.

The protesters refused to allow the body of MCD sanitation worker, Anil, to be taken from the hospital mortuary for last rites, as they threatened to keep auto-tippers off the roads across Delhi until their demands are met.

A 52-year-old man who was allegedly heavily drunk and angry over his wife's daily phone calls with another person was behind Anil's stabbing in east Delhi, police said on Monday. The accused, Nihal, was arrested from beneath a flyover near the Ghazipur border area, they said.

Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed at the hospital as sanitation workers raised slogans and demanded immediate action against those responsible for the killing. "We are demanding Rs 1 crore compensation for the family and a permanent job in MCD for one member of the family," said Karan Singh Mahroliya, a member of the Delhi Sanitation Workers Union.

"We will not allow the last rites until our demands are met. Auto-tippers will remain off the roads across Delhi," he said, adding that operations had already stopped in several areas on Monday as part of the protest.

Several visuals from the site showed hundreds of sanitation workers, auto-tipper drivers and helpers gathered outside the hospital for the protest. Sanitation workers present at the site said the family had not agreed to the compensation being offered by the private company that had engaged Anil.

"The company is offering Rs 8 lakh as compensation, but neither the family nor we agree to this. What good is Rs 8 lakh when the sole breadwinner is gone? Who will earn and feed his family now?" he said.

Anil, who was the eldest of three brothers, is survived by his parents, two brothers and a married sister, according to Mahroliya.

He was a contractual sanitation worker engaged by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) through a private company and was allegedly stabbed while collecting garbage in Kalyanpuri at around 8.15 am on Sunday.

He was rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.

A purported CCTV video of the incident circulated on social media showed a man in a yellow T-shirt approaching Anil after a brief verbal spat and allegedly stabbing him in the stomach.

Police on Monday said they had arrested a 52-year-old man, identified as Nihal, in connection with the killing.

"We have arrested Nihal (52) in the case. Initially, the investigation suggested that the accused killed the man due to personal enmity. We are investigating multiple angles of the case, and further investigation is underway," a senior police officer said. The officer said it was not a case of mistaken identity.

Nihal's primary target was the man his wife allegedly spoke to on the phone --  Gulshan -- but found Anil collecting garbage in Kalyanpuri around 8.15 am on Sunday and stabbed him with a knife. Anil and Gulshan were friends, police said.

"Nihal did not like that Gulshan used to talk to his wife every day. He had even warned Anil to tell Gulshan to stop talking to his wife, but both continued to talk on the phone," Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Rajeev Kumar said.

The protesters, however, said their demands had not been addressed by the government and questioned the response of the authorities.

"The second day of the protest is continuing, and sanitation workers are standing firm. Work has stopped in many wards of Delhi. The killer has not been caught yet, and no talks have been held by the government regarding compensation and a government job for the family," said a sanitation worker earlier at the protest.

"Until he gets justice, this fight will continue. This government is standing with private companies instead of workers. They should come forward and listen to the sanitation workers' demands," he claimed.

Mahroliya said the protest would continue at the hospital on Tuesday as well and that Anil's body would remain in the mortuary until the family agreed to the last rites.

"No one from the MCD has called us for talks yet. We are waiting to see if anyone from the MCD comes forward," he said.

The MCD had on Sunday said it would ensure compensation for Anil's family and that its representatives had visited them to convey the assurance.

AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar also visited the protest site and criticised the Delhi government for the police deployment.

"The protest by sanitation workers continues at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in Kalyanpuri against the murder of sanitation worker Anil," Kumar said in a post on X.

He alleged that a heavy police force had been deployed to suppress the protest and said the government should instead focus on catching criminals and providing justice and compensation to the deceased worker's family.