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Poor lighting, broken walls: Security risks at Delhi's Aastha Kunj Park flagged after 17-year-old's gang-rape
People who regularly visit the area said the deployment does not address longstanding concerns about security, particularly after dark.
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Security concerns remain at southeast Delhi's Aastha Kunj Park days after a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped there, with visitors and vendors raising questions over poor lighting, damaged boundary walls and unattended entry points.
Police have increased patrolling across the sprawling park following the incident, news agency PTI reported. However, people who regularly visit the area said the deployment does not address longstanding concerns about security, particularly after dark.
Three men allegedly posed as policemen
On Monday evening, three men identified as Asif, Hemant and Hemant's brother Manish allegedly approached the teenage girl and her 17-year-old male friend, who were sitting on a bench and eating chips after offering prayers at the nearby Kalkaji Mandir, police said.
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The men allegedly posed as policemen before confronting the two and separating them. The girl was then allegedly raped by the three men in turns, police said.
Since the incident, police personnel have been seen patrolling different parts of the park, while security guards have also been deployed.
Visitors flag broken walls, poor lighting
Visitors and vendors said several areas of the park remain poorly lit, while broken sections of the boundary wall provide access points that are difficult to monitor.
They also said security arrangements are often tightened following an incident but tend to reduce after a few days.
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A woman vendor stationed near the spot where the alleged rape took place said police personnel and guards have become more visible since Monday evening.
"Police personnel and guards are now more visible in the area, but why isn't this the norm always? Why wait for something so horrific to happen for authorities to address the fault lines? I feel scared going that way in the evening after what happened here," she said.
Park has 29 gates across 142 acres
The park covers around 142 acres and has 29 gates. It is surrounded by residential colonies, markets, offices and major religious places, making movement in and around the area difficult to monitor, visitors and vendors said.
A vendor near one of the entrances said the main gates are usually closed around 7 pm, but people can still access the park through damaged sections of the boundary wall and other open points.
"People continue to enter the park through different points even after the gates are shut. It is difficult to monitor movement across such a large area," the vendor said.
Visitors seek wider police patrolling
A visitor, Amit, said the current police deployment appeared inadequate given the size of the park.
"We come here to take a walk in nature. There are already limited spaces in Delhi where you can be close to trees and clean air. In this park, there are some very isolated stretches. Police patrolling should cover those areas as well," he said.
Shopkeepers and vendors in the surrounding area also called for surveillance to be strengthened beyond the main gates and extended to isolated sections of the park.
They said damaged boundary walls and multiple entry and exit points make it harder to monitor movement, while visitors called for better lighting and regular patrolling across secluded areas.
They said security arrangements need to cover the entire park to prevent safety concerns from resurfacing once the current deployment is reduced.
(With PTI inputs)
