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Lady Shri Ram College for Women, located around 2 km from the park, said the safety and well-being of its students remained its top priority.
Anusha Garg, President of the Lady Shri Ram Students’ Union, speaks to CNN-News18 (Representative image: File/lsr.edu.in)
Lady Shri Ram College for Women cancelled regular classes on Wednesday following the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir. The college, located around 2 km from the park, said the safety and well-being of its students remained its top priority, reported PTI.
The college had suspended classes from Tuesday afternoon after police intercepted one of the accused near LSR’s back gate. The police encounter took place around 50 metres from the gate, triggering anxiety among students and staff. The college administration subsequently asked faculty mentors and counsellors to remain available to students for support.
“After we got to know about the unfortunate incident, we cancelled classes. The safety, security and well-being of our students is of paramount importance to us. We have requested our faculty mentors and college counsellor to remain available for any support students may require,” principal Kanika K Ahuja told PTI.
According to an LSR faulty member, Delhi University Teachers Association is on strike today, so most professors are not present in college.
“The concern right now is understandable because incidents like this affect not only physical safety but also the confidence with which women move through public spaces. For young women especially, safety often becomes a constant calculation around timing, routes, transport and last-mile travel. Any temporary flexibility, including online options where available, can help reduce immediate anxiety, but it should not become the long-term answer. The larger responsibility is to make public spaces, transport and reporting systems safer so that women do not have to restrict their education, work or mobility because of fear,” Anusha Garg, President, LSR Students’ Union said.
Three men were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the alleged rape. One of the accused, identified as Asif, was injured in an exchange of fire with police while officers were attempting to apprehend him, officials said.
According to police, Asif and the other two accused — Hemant, a lawyer, and his brother Mukesh, a final-year BSc Mathematics student — allegedly posed as policemen before approaching the 17-year-old girl and her male friend.
Police said the teenagers, both from Faridabad, had visited Kalkaji Mandir before entering Aastha Kunj Park through Gate No. 7 on Monday evening. The accused allegedly separated the girl from her friend and took her to a secluded part of the park. Police allege that Asif threatened the girl with a firearm and knife and raped her, while the other two men also allegedly assaulted her.
The girl was medically examined at AIIMS and an FIR was registered at Amar Colony police station under relevant sections of the BNS and POCSO Act.
Police have flagged security concerns at the park, saying parts of its boundary wall have collapsed, some gates are unmanned and certain areas are inadequately lit.
The accused’s father, advocate J R Dhankar, has denied the allegations against his sons and alleged they were being framed.
The incident has triggered renewed concerns among LSR students and the wider college community over safety in the area.
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Ask News18Lady Shri Ram College for Women cancelled regular classes following the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir and a subsequent police encounter with one of the suspects near the campus back gate.
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September 23, 2026, 07:51 IST
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