New Delhi:
A bustling park by day. A dark, deserted stretch after sunset.
At around 7 pm, the time when a teenage girl and her friend had come to Aastha Kunj Park in South Delhi’s Kalkaji on Monday, the sprawling green space was already sinking into darkness.
An NDTV spot-check of the park revealed barely any lighting across large stretches. In the fading light, the park appeared less like a public recreational space and more like an isolated forest – despite being surrounded by one of the busiest and most prominent neighbourhoods in South Delhi.
It was in this darkness that, police say, three men allegedly posing as policemen accosted the teenager and her male friend.
The accused allegedly threatened the boy and sexually assaulted the girl over around 40 minutes before leaving the park. All three accused have since been arrested.
Park by day, dark by night
The sprawling Aastha Kunj Park covers around 150 acres and sits at the heart of a densely populated and busy part of the capital.
Read | Delhi Park Rape Case Was Pre-Planned? Accused’s ‘Frequent Visitor’ Probe On
Just about 200 metres away is the iconic Lotus Temple. The bustling Nehru Place market is nearby. The famous ISKCON temple is adjacent to the park, while Lady Shri Ram College for Women is also in the vicinity.
Yet, as darkness descended, much of the park seemed to disappear from view.
NDTV’s spot-check found that the park has eight gates, with at least four open to the public at a given time, allowing people to enter and leave.
But inside, lighting appeared grossly inadequate.
Light from the Lotus Temple 200 metres away
In several stretches, there was almost complete darkness. The only prominent light visible from some parts of the park appeared to come from the Lotus Temple, around 200 metres away.
For a park located in such a central and busy part of Delhi – and frequented by local residents and students – the lack of basic lighting and visible security raises serious questions about safety after sunset.
Fear Outside the Campus
The incident has also triggered concern at Lady Shri Ram College.
On Wednesday, LSR students held a protest and solidarity march, demanding safer streets and raising concerns over inadequate police patrolling, poor lighting and security lapses around the campus.
Protest by LSR students on Wednesday
The protest came a day after the college shifted classes online following an encounter involving one of the accused near the college’s back gate.
One of the accused, Asif, was arrested after the police encounter near the LSR gate a day after the alleged gangrape. The other two accused, Hemant and Mukesh, were apprehended from Faridabad.
For students and residents living around Aastha Kunj, the questions now go beyond the arrests.
How does a sprawling public park in the middle of South Delhi become so dark and isolated after sunset?
And how many people pass through those gates every evening without knowing what could be waiting inside?
