Who is Sanjeev Khirwar? MCD chief involved in dog walking row faces resignation calls after Satya Niketan building collapse

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Commissioner, Sanjeev Khirwar, who was at the centre of a controversy around his dog walking, is now facing calls for resignation, after a building collapse in Delhi's Satya Niketan, which resulted in the deaths of seven individuals. Following the collapse of the building, Khirwar has been facing growing scrutiny from student bodies and opposition groups over regulatory failures, unauthorised construction and lack of safety monitoring.

“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?” said ABVP National Social Media Convenor Prerna Bhardwaj to ANI.

On Monday, the Delhi High Court questioned not just the property owner but also the role of MCD and other authorities in the collapse. Official estimates suggest that the building was constructed in the 1990s; however, local reporting and Khirwar himself have said that the original load-bearing structure was 4-5 decades old, leading back to the 1970s.

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Who is Sanjeev Khirwar?

Sanjeev Khirwar was appointed as the commissioner of MCD by the Ministry of Home Affairs in January 2026. He is a 1994-batch Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. Before

becoming MCD Chief, he was the principal secretary (environment and forest) in the Delhi government and had served as Delhi's Principal Secretary.

He was at the centre of a controversy around his dog walk routine. It was alleged that coaches and players at the Thyagraj Stadium in 2022 were asked to end their training sessions at the stadium by 7 pm before Khirwar would arrive to walk his dog. Khirwar had rejected these allegations. After the incident, Kejriwal had ordered all sports facilities under the Delhi government to remain open until 10 pm, and he was transferred to Ladakh, where he held several senior administrative positions.

When asked about the total number of unauthorised structures around Delhi NCR, Sanjeev said that the total number is not available. "We don't have the exact figures. A regular identification is conducted. In the last three months, 960 demolitions were carried out, 407 buildings were sealed, and notices were served to 1,500 buildings for sealing and demolition. This is a regular process to take action against unauthorised construction," said Khirwar.