The Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), affiliated to the Delhi University, resumed offline classes on Thursday, a day after it had resorted to online classes in the aftermath of the alleged gang-rape of a minor girl at gunpoint inside Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Temple. 

The incident, as per university sources, triggered concerns among students over security around the college campus, and hundreds of students enrolled at the LSR protesting and demanding stronger safeguards to ensure women’s safety. 

Classes resume, but safety concerns still in place

The LSR, in an official notice issued on Wednesday, said offline classes would be conducted on a regular basis on the college premises from September 24, Thursday. The alleged gang-rape unfolded in the national capital on September 21, when the minor girl, a student of Class 7, was visiting the park with one of her male friends aged 17 on her 17th birthday. According to police, the horrendous crime transpired between 7:15 pm and 7:30 pm. 

Notably, Aastha Kunj Park is located in close proximity to LSR’s back-gate, which is frequently taken by students owing to its convenient access to a nearby Metro station. The college had suspended offline classes and shifted to the online teaching mode on September 23, a day after the incident. 

Since then, the students have raised serious concerns about the safety of the females in the area, particularly while marching to the college from the hostel and vice-versa. 

Students call for stronger security safeguards

LSR’s students staged an agitation demanding ramped up security arrangements around the campus. One of the students, named Fellah Fajar, said she remained particularly alert while walking from her accommodation in Amar Colony to the college’s back gate on Thursday morning. She remarked, “I was constantly scanning the lane leading to the back gate and remained extremely alert to every person and vehicle passing by,” adding that attendance in her class was 30% less than usual. 

Fellah went on to say that police personnel were present in the lane but she did not notice additional security arrangements ensured by the college. Two guards, as usual, were stationed at the back gate, she claimed. 

Another student, identified as Evia, said students were taking precautions as they returned to the campus. She said some students planned to travel home in groups and carry pepper spray, while the ones living far away were mulling skipping their final class as it gets dark by the time they reach home. 

3 arrested in gang-rape case

Meanwhile, the cops have laid hands on three men in connection with the Aastha Kunj park gang-rape case, who have been identified as Asif (30), Mukesh (24) and Hemant Singh (31). Asif fell into the police dragnet on Tuesday from Amar Colony following a brief exchange of fire. Police said an unlicensed firearm and a knife were seized from his possession. 

Later that day, Mukesh and Hemant were arrested from their respective homes in Sri Niwaspuri. 

As claimed by police, they also recovered allegedly objectionable and pornographic material from Asif’s phone and have sought a forensic report from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). 

Police added that park staff, security guards, workers at a nearby godown and regular visitors identified Asif as a habitual offender and a local troublemaker. 

An investigating policeman said the accused were allegedly carrying at least two weapons and condoms on the day of the incident, raising suspicion that the crime may have been a premeditated one. Park staff and others are being interrogated as the probe into the incident advances.