The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has restricted entry to its parks after sunset following the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji temple. The move comes alongside a city-wide safety review of public parks.
Safety checks ordered across Delhi parks
The DDA has ordered a comprehensive safety audit of all parks under its jurisdiction within a week. The review will examine lighting, security arrangements, CCTV coverage, vulnerable entry and exit points, cleanliness and regular patrolling.
The authority said additional security personnel would be deployed at vulnerable gates and poorly lit locations based on risk assessments. It also plans to improve lighting, including floodlights at identified dark spots, and install or strengthen surveillance cameras at main entrances and other vulnerable areas.
The DDA manages more than 16,000 acres of green assets in Delhi, including hundreds of parks, biodiversity zones, city forests and neighbourhood gardens.
Police step up patrols around public spaces
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has also directed the Delhi Police to strengthen beat patrolling around parks, including deployment of women personnel. Police teams have begun intensified checking and combing operations in parks and other vulnerable public spaces.
The measures follow the alleged assault of the teenager at Aastha Kunj Park on Monday. Police said three men allegedly posed as police personnel to intimidate the girl and her 17-year-old male friend before separating them. All three accused have been arrested, and a case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
The incident has renewed attention on lighting, surveillance and security gaps in Delhi’s public parks, particularly during evening and night hours.