Human skeleton found during BJP cleanliness drive in New Delhi
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
A human skeleton was discovered inside a box at the settlement of a scrap dealer in New Delhi on Friday, 26 September 2025, during a cleanliness drive conducted by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers under its 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' campaign. Police were promptly informed and have since taken up the matter for investigation.
How the Skeleton Was Discovered
According to a BJP leader, party workers were cleaning an area in the national capital when one worker picked up a box near the hut of one Shakeel Mohammad, brother of scrap dealer Mohammed Abrar, intending to collect garbage. When the broken cover of the box fell off, a human skeleton was found inside.
'As soon as he picked up the box, its broken cover fell off, and inside was a human skeleton. Naturally, people got scared,' the BJP leader said. He added that police were called immediately, and they confirmed the remains were indeed a human skeleton.
What the Scrap Dealer Claims
Scrap dealer Mohammed Abrar maintained that the skeleton was a laboratory item brought from a nearby school in July, when his nephew collected discarded scrap including papers, books, almirahs, and boxes from the school premises.
'The earlier principal of the school used to give us only papers and books in scrap, but the new principal asked us to take away all the non-essential things of the lab,' Abrar said. He further suggested that CCTV footage from the school could be examined to verify his account, and acknowledged he should have reported the skeleton to authorities earlier. 'We had kept it out in the open; it's not like we had hidden it or something,' he added.
School Denies Any Connection
The BJP leader, however, challenged Abrar's explanation, stating that the nearest school in the area — which caters to classes up to standard eight — was contacted and its principal flatly denied possessing a laboratory or giving away any such item. 'We have spoken with the principal there, who denied the claims, saying the school doesn't possess any lab and nothing of such kind has been given to anyone,' the leader said.
Political Dimension and Police Action
The BJP leader also raised broader concerns, alleging illegal construction and encroachment on government land in the area. He reiterated the party's assertion that illegal infiltrators engage in anti-national activities, and urged police to conduct a comprehensive drive in the locality to check for criminal elements. The BJP stated that without the cleanliness drive, the skeleton might never have come to light.
Notably, police have confirmed the skeleton's authenticity and noted that possessing a human skeleton — regardless of its origin — is illegal under Indian law. Whether the remains are linked to a crime, a missing person case, or a discarded academic specimen remains under investigation.
Authorities are expected to pursue forensic examination of the skeleton and cross-check records with local schools and hospitals to determine the provenance of the remains.