Kalkaji gangrape sparks Delhi-wide park safety audit including presence of Pink Police | India News
NEW DELHI: Delhi lieutenant governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Wednesday ordered a safety audit of all city parks within a week and directed the deployment of Pink Police personnel around their premises following the gangrape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir.Sandhu held a meeting with Delhi police commissioner Anurag Kumar, MCD commissioner and DDA vice chairman, the LG Office said in a post on X.He directed authorities to conduct a comprehensive safety audit of all parks, focusing on lighting, security, regular patrolling and cleanliness.The Delhi Police was also asked to strengthen beat patrolling around parks, including through deployment of Pink Police personnel, the LG Office said.The directions came two days after the teenager from Faridabad was allegedly gangraped by three men inside Aastha Kunj Park on Monday evening.According to police, the girl had visited Kalkaji Mandir with her 17-year-old male friend around 7 pm. The two later went to the park, where three men allegedly approached them while posing as policemen.The men allegedly separated the girl from her friend and took her to a secluded part of the park. A PCR call reporting the incident was received around 8.45 pm, following which police reached the spot and began the investigation.Police have arrested all three accused in connection with the case. One of them was arrested after an exchange of fire with police, while the other two were subsequently apprehended.The LG’s latest directive also follows his decision on Tuesday to create a dedicated “Pink Force” of trained women personnel for high-visibility patrolling and rapid response around schools, colleges, metro stations and other vulnerable locations.Sandhu had said women’s safety was “non-negotiable” and asked the Delhi Police to model the force on Goa police’s Pink Force. The proposed units were to be deployed particularly during vulnerable hours.The latest order expands that focus to the city’s parks, with authorities specifically asked to examine whether lighting, security, patrolling and cleanliness measures are adequate across the network of public parks.
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The incident has also triggered safety concerns among students in the area. Lady Shri Ram College for Women cancelled regular classes on Tuesday and shifted classes online for Wednesday, citing safety and security concerns following the gangrape near Kalkaji Mandir.
