For over a year, no lights and not enough guards at Govindpuri’s Monkey Park: Staff

The park, spread over 5 km, has one main gate and 12 exit points that are not manned by guards (Express)

For the past one year at Govindpuri’s Monkey Park, not a single high-mast light has been functional while the security guards — barring two who man the front gates — have retired. This, coupled with large gaps in the boundary wall, make it vulnerable to incidents of snatching, robbery and drug abuse, claim police and park staff. Managed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the park was the scene of a murder on Saturday, when a 24-year-old student was stabbed to death by a group of snatchers.

The park, spread over 5 km, has one main gate and 12 exit points that are not manned by guards. “The guards have all retired over the past one year. In the coming year, the remaining two guards will also retire. How will two people manage all exit points?” said Shyam Lal Singh, the park’s supervisor. On Saturday evening, only one guard was on duty from 5 pm to 1 am. There are no functioning lights at the crime scene, and the poles have been taken over by monkeys. “The park is not lit at night and none of the guards leave the main area of the park after dark. There have been many cases of snatching here,” Subhash, a gardener, alleged.

Three arrested: 24-year-old stabbed to death in park while fighting off snatchers

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Reacting to the security concerns, a senior DDA official said, “The issue has been brought to our notice. We will look into the problem.” Meanwhile, police personnel at Govindpuri police station said around 12-13 snatching-related incidents happen at the park every week. However, many cases go unreported due to issues with the jurisdiction.

“The park stretches into two jurisdictions — south and southeast. So, complainants are often sent from the Sangam Vihar police station to the Govindpuri one and vice-versa to register complaints. Most of the time, they get fed up and do not report the incident,” a police officer said. In their annual press conference last week, the Delhi Police had said cases of robbery and snatching had showed a steep decline of 38.21% and 12.51% respectively last year, compared to 2016.