On 20 August 2017, a Sunday, Rishi Pal, who was employed with the Lok Nayak hospital as a sanitation worker in Delhi, was asked to help with cleaning the sewer inside the hospital. This was not unusual for the 45-year-old as he was often called in by Prem Sagar, who works as a storekeeper in the hospital, to help with cleaning the sewers.

With three teenagers to support, Pal did not mind taking up such jobs .

But that fateful Sunday, within minutes of entering the sewer without any protective gear, Pal fell unconscious and was soon declared dead.