LSR security tightened after teen’s gangrape near campus

New Delhi: Delhi Police has stepped up security around Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) following the alleged gangrape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir, about two km from the college.

Senior police officers, including Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Vijay Kumar, visited LSR on Wednesday and held discussions with the principal on student security. Police personnel have been deployed outside the campus, while women police officers and women PCR vans have been stationed in the area.

The security review came after LSR suspended physical classes and shifted teaching online amid concerns among students. The college administration said the safety and well-being of students remained its priority, with faculty mentors and counsellors available to provide support.

According to police, the alleged assault took place on Monday evening when the 17-year-old girl visited Kalkaji Mandir with a male friend, also 17, before going to Aastha Kunj Park.

Police alleged that three men — identified as Asif, Hemant and Manish — approached the teenagers while posing as police personnel. They allegedly separated the girl from her friend, took her to an isolated part of the park and sexually assaulted her. The accused also allegedly threatened the teenagers. All three accused were arrested on Tuesday. Police said one of them was injured in a brief exchange of fire while being apprehended near the college area.

The incident also triggered a political row. Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned the BJP government’s record on women’s safety, citing LSR’s decision to move classes online. He also alleged that crimes against women continued to be a serious concern in the capital.

There was no immediate response from the BJP to Bharadwaj’s allegations.

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The Hans India