New Delhi, 23 September (H.S.):

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Wednesday directed officials to carry out a safety audit of all parks across the national capital following the alleged gangrape of a teenage girl at Aastha Kunj Park in southeast Delhi.

The audit is expected to examine key safety measures, including lighting, surveillance, security arrangements and police patrolling. Officials have been asked to identify vulnerable spots and take corrective measures to improve the safety of people using public parks.

The directions came during a meeting involving senior officials of the Delhi Police, Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Development Authority. Authorities were also asked to strengthen beat patrolling around parks and consider additional police deployment in areas identified as vulnerable.

The alleged incident took place on Monday evening at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji. According to the police, the 17-year-old girl had visited the park with a male friend when three men allegedly approached them and claimed to be police personnel. The accused allegedly separated the girl from her friend and took her towards an isolated section of the park.

Following the incident, a police control room call was received at around 8:45 pm. A police team reached the park and initiated the investigation. The girl was taken for a medical examination as part of the investigation.

Police have arrested three men in connection with the case. One of the accused was apprehended on Tuesday following an exchange of fire with a police team, while the other two were arrested subsequently.

The incident has also raised concerns about security arrangements at Aastha Kunj Park, including lighting and surveillance in certain areas. The latest directions are aimed at assessing similar gaps in parks across Delhi and ensuring that deficiencies are addressed promptly.

The authorities have been asked to improve coordination between civic agencies and the police and ensure that public parks have adequate safety and maintenance arrangements. The police investigation into the alleged assault is continuing.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar