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MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar is back in focus after the deadly collapse of a five-storey building in Delhi’s Satya Niketan, which killed seven people and triggered questions over civic oversight and building safety. Student organisation ABVP has demanded his resignation, putting the senior bureaucrat at the centre of a fresh controversy. Khirwar, a 1994-batch IAS officer, is no stranger to the spotlight. In 2022, he was at the centre of the controversial ‘dog-walk row’ involving Delhi’s Thyagaraj Stadium, an episode that eventually saw him transferred out of the capital.

Who Is Sanjeev Khirwar?

Khirwar is a 1994-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre. He returned to Delhi as MCD Commissioner in January 2026, taking charge of the civic body responsible for several key aspects of the capital’s building regulation and enforcement.

His current tenure has come under scrutiny following the Satya Niketan collapse. The MCD has suspended five officials from its South Zone after the incident, while questions have been raised over unauthorised construction and regulatory oversight.

Khirwar has defended the corporation’s enforcement record, saying that 960 demolitions had been carried out, 407 buildings sealed and notices issued to 1,500 buildings over the preceding three months.

Delhi HC Orders ‘High-Level’ MCD Probe Into Satya Niketan Building Collapse

The ‘Dog-Walk Row’

Khirwar became a nationally recognised name in May 2022 after reports alleged that athletes and coaches at Delhi’s Thyagaraj Stadium were being asked to finish training early so he could walk his dog at the facility.

Khirwar denied that his dog-walking disrupted athletes’ training, calling the allegation “absolutely incorrect”. He acknowledged that he sometimes took his pet to the stadium. The controversy prompted a political backlash, with Delhi government sports facilities subsequently ordered to remain open for athletes until 10pm.

Khirwar was subsequently transferred to Ladakh, while his wife, IAS officer Rinku Dugga, was transferred to Arunachal Pradesh.

Why Is He In Focus Now?

His return to Delhi as MCD chief has placed him under renewed scrutiny after the Satya Niketan tragedy. ABVP protesters have demanded his resignation, alleging failures by the civic administration.

The collapse has also prompted wider questions about the regulation and safety of student PG accommodation across Delhi. 

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