Who is Sanjeev Khirwar? MCD chief involved in 'dog-walking row' in focus after Satya Niketan building collapse — The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner, Sanjeev Khirwar, is facing calls for resignation after a building collapse in Delhi's Satya Niketan led to the death of at least seven individuals.
In the wake of the tragedy, both civil and student groups have been questioning the record of the MCD under Khirwar in tackling unsafe as well as unauthorised constructions in the city.
“We had a protest yesterday at the MCD office as well, and we demanded the resignation of the MCD Commissioner. We are all sitting here, and we are demanding accountability. What is the actual standard of student safety on the campus?” asked ABVP's National Social Media Convenor Prerna Bhardwaj, as per an ANI report.
Sanjeev Khirwar is facing calls for resignation due to the recent building collapse in Satya Niketan, which resulted in the deaths of at least seven individuals.
Sanjeev Khirwar is an IAS officer from the 1994 AGMUT cadre, having served as the Chairman of the MCD since January 2026, and previously held roles in various capacities within the Delhi and central government.
The MCD regularly conducts identification and demolition exercises, with recent efforts resulting in the demolition of 960 unauthorized buildings and sealing another 407 in the last three months, according to Khirwar.
Concerns have risen due to the collapse of a five-storey building in Satya Niketan, which highlighted widespread unauthorized constructions and insufficient enforcement of safety regulations for paying-guest accommodations.
In response to the collapse, the MCD suspended five officials from its South Zone and ordered the immediate sealing of all illegal constructions above four floors, while also warning of strict action against responsible officials.
In this context, let us take a look at the profile of Sanjeev Khirwar:
Sanjeev Khirwar is an IAS officer of the 1994 batch of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories) cadre.
He was made the Chairman of the MCD in January 2026. This was his return to Delhi after a period of three years. Earlier, he was transferred out of the city following the episode at the Thyagraj Stadium in 2022 when he was the Delhi state government's Principal Secretary (Revenue).
It was alleged that coaches and players were asked to end their training sessions at the stadium by 7 PM because Khirwar would be arriving with his dog on the premises.
“We used to train till 8-8.30 PM under lights earlier. But now, we are asked to leave the ground by 7 PM so that the officer can walk his dog on the ground," a coach had told The Indian Express when the incident occurred.
Khirwar had then rejected the allegations, although he did admit that he used to take his dog to the facility.
After this incident, the then Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, ordered all sports facilities under the Delhi government to remain open until 10 PM while Khirwar was transferred to Ladakh, where he served in a number of senior administrative positions.