Over 300 held in Delhi Police crackdown after teen gang-raped at park

The exercise assumes significance in areas such as the North Campus, which is frequented by a large and diverse population of students and youths. With students living in hostels, paying guest accommodations and residential areas around the university, parks, roads, markets and other public spaces in the area see heavy footfall throughout the day, well into the evening.

The Central Range also has several parks and other public spaces in areas such as Darya Ganj, Jama Masjid, Kamla Market, Patel Nagar, Rajinder Nagar, Prasad Nagar and adjoining areas. Police teams have been conducting systematic checks of these locations as part of coordinated Combing and Search Operations (CASO), conducted on September 22 and 23.

In Darya Ganj, police visited five parks and 66 people were apprehended under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act. In the Jama Masjid area, several parks and public spaces were searched and 45 people were held under the same provision, besides preventive action under the BNSS.

At Kamla Market, police teams visited multiple parks, including Minto Road Complex Park, Shivaji Park, DBG Park, Nehru Park and Shastri Park. The operation resulted in 60 people being detained along with the seizure of three vehicles and further preventive and legal action under the Delhi Excise Act and BNSS.

Checks were also carried out in Hauz Qazi, DBG Road, Patel Nagar, Rajinder Nagar and Prasad Nagar.

In Patel Nagar, five parks were checked and 82 people were apprehended under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act, along with preventive action under the Excise Act and BNSS. At Prasad Nagar, 23 people were prosecuted under Section 40(A) of the Delhi Excise Act, and additional action was taken under the Gambling Act and Excise Act.

Joint Commissioner of Police, Central Range, Madhur Verma, said the exercise was aimed at ensuring that public spaces remain accessible to the common people and are not taken over by people involved in unlawful activities. “This is not merely a one-day exercise. It is a sustained area-domination programme aimed at restoring order, safety and confidence in every public space under the Central Range,” Verma said.

Devesh Srivastava, Special CP, Law and Order, said that deficiencies in the physical environment of public spaces are being identified to take them up with civic agencies. “Our teams are auditing the physical environment, including lighting, fencing, encroachments, parks, subways and foot-over bridges. Wherever deficiencies require intervention by civic agencies, specific recommendations will be sent to the departments concerned. We will continue this intensive exercise until all identified public spaces have been systematically checked. The focus is on sustained police visibility, prevention and reclaiming public spaces for law-abiding citizens. The safety and confidence of women in public spaces will remain a particular priority.”

As part of the exercise, police teams are also conducting a security audit of public spaces and identifying physical conditions that may affect their safety and usability. These include inadequate lighting and dark spots, broken or inadequate fencing, encroachments, obstruction of public pathways, vulnerable entry and exit points, and areas around subways and foot-over bridges requiring attention.

Officials said deficiencies requiring intervention from the Public Works Department, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and other civic agencies would be communicated to the respective departments for remedial action.

The police have described the approach as one based on the broader ‘Broken Windows’ principle, under which visible disorder and neglect in public spaces are addressed alongside conventional policing.

Eighteen additional women constables have been sanctioned and posted to the Women Police Station, North District, according to the police. The Jhansi all-woman patrolling squads, operating on pink scooters, are also undertaking intensive patrolling of vulnerable areas under the supervision of the ACP/Sadar Bazar, the SHO of the Women Police Station and women police personnel.

The police said the objective is to increase the visibility of women police personnel, conduct regular checks of vulnerable public spaces and provide greater reassurance to women using parks, roads, markets and other public facilities.

Police presence around educational institutions and adjoining public spaces has also drawn responses from university officials.

Atmoja Bose, Deputy Proctor, DU, said: “The increased police presence and regular patrolling in and around the university areas is a very welcome step. For students, particularly women, visible police presence provides a greater sense of safety and reassurance. Such proactive measures, rather than policing only after an incident occurs, go a long way in creating a safer environment around the university and adjoining public spaces.”