Delhi woke up to yet another shocking incident recently when a cab driver was found dead on the Nelson Mandela Road. More shocking is the fact that the victim was thrown out of a car just 100 metres away from a police picket. And it’s not the only stretch that is becoming the breeding ground of crime, but residents from various localities complain of many stretches that lack security at night.
“The North Campus roads are extremely unsafe. The Ridge road close to the campus is a lonely stretch where lecherous men often sit in their cars and tease girls passing by. When I was crossing that area recently, a person sitting inside passed a few lewd comments and asked me to sit inside. Many of my friends have had similar experiences,” says Anubhuti Vatsayan, a CSR employee.
There are areas where streetlights often don’t work. “The patch near Motilal Nehru College is desolate and at times street lights don’t function. They recently got a police check post near South Campus, but a friend of mine tells me that she recently saw a gang of ruffians fighting there,” says Doel, a PR professional.
Apart from the Ridge Road, residents in colonies like Punjabi Bagh, G.K. and even Lajpat Nagar complain of regular incidents of crime in their colonies. “Just a few days back a biker snatched my neighbour’s necklace while she was walking with her family near her home. Such incidents are quite common in our colony. We’ve complained to the local authorities but they haven’t taken action yet. We have asked cops to place a PCR near our colony gate,” says Ashok Aggarwal (name changed on request), a resident of West Punjabi Bagh.