LSR College Resumes Offline Classes Amidst Student Safety Fears After Gang-Rape
LSR College Resumes Offline Classes Amidst Student Safety Fears After Gang-Rape
Lady Shri Ram College reopens offline classes a day after a horrific gang-rape near its campus. Students voice deep safety concerns, taking precautions as police make arrests in Delhi.
Lady Shri Ram College for Women, a constituent college of Delhi University, has resumed offline classes on Thursday, just a day after the institution had moved to online instruction following a distressing incident near its campus. The college administration had suspended physical classes and shifted to an online mode on September 23, in response to a gang-rape incident at Aastha Kunj Park.
This move came amidst hundreds of LSR students staging protests, demanding enhanced security measures to ensure women's safety in the national capital, highlighting pervasive safety concerns around the college campus. Students returning to campus express a palpable sense of apprehension.
Fellah Fajar, an LSR student, shared her distressing experience walking from her accommodation in Amar Colony to the college's back gate.
I was constantly scanning the lane leading to the back gate and remained extremely alert to every person and vehicle passing by,
she recounted. While the college felt busy, Fajar noted a significant drop in class attendance, speculating it might be related to the incident.
She also observed police personnel in the lane but no apparent additional security steps from the college administration, with only the usual two security guards stationed at the back gate. Another student, Evia, highlighted the precautions students are now taking. “We have planned to return home in groups, and some of us are carrying pepper spray,” she stated.
Concerns are particularly high for first- and second-year students whose classes end around 5:30 p.m. Many living in distant parts of Delhi are contemplating skipping their last classes as it gets dark by the time they would reach home.
The dilemma is compounded by strict attendance requirements and the upcoming mid-semester break, which are prompting many to continue attending classes despite heightened safety fears, even as some receive calls from anxious parents asking them to return home. Meanwhile, law enforcement has made significant progress in the investigation. On Tuesday morning, Asif (30) was apprehended from Amar Colony following a brief exchange of fire.
Authorities recovered an unlicensed firearm and a knife from him.
Later the same day, two brothers, Mukesh (24) and Hemant Singh (31), were arrested from their residence in Sri Niwaspuri.
Police reported finding “objectionable” and pornographic content on Asif's phone and have requested a forensic report.
Park staff, guards, and regular visitors have identified Asif as a known local troublemaker. Investigators suspect the incident was premeditated, noting that the culprits were carrying at least two weapons, a firearm and a knife, and condoms on the day of the incident. Further questioning of park staff and others is underway to gather more details.
