September 21st holds a memory that will be told in the history of Colleges located within the vicinity of South Delhi’s Aastha Kunj Park because it was the day a minor was gang raped.
A report by Newslaundry states that the incident happened 50 metres from The Lady Shri Ram (LSR) College's back gate. The students have recently complained about the lack of security within the area and the harassment they had received from outside the college gates, with men masturbating while staring at them (Newslaundry, 2026).
A very ostentatious act.
The victim in question is a minor, seventeen years of age, who was raped by three men posing as policemen near the Kalkaji temple at Aastha Kunj Park (Newslaundry, 2026). This would not be the first rape and sexual assault case since the month started, but at least thirteen cases have been reported within the Delhi-NCR vicinity (The Print, 2026)
What has been done to these Rapists?
The accused men were arrested and are in police custody, and the response to this attack was an audit (Newslaundry, 2026).
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) issued an audit that would take into account adequate lighting in the parks, security guards at entrances, access to clean sanitary arrangements, additional CCTVs, regulated visiting hours, and so on (The Print, 2026; Outlook India n.d.).
While these measures have been put in place to ensure safety, the students in neighbouring colleges do not concur with them. While reports have been made about the harassment they receive at their school gates, LSR suspended physical classes for two days, routing into remote learning while the DDA issued the above audit (Newslaundry, 2026).
This was not well received by the students, and a protest arose. The women at the University of Delhi protested against the violence and restrictions on mobility regarding the incident, demanding improved
public spaces, better lighting, and freedom of use for women without fear (The Daily Jagran, 2026). The women in Miranda House held a solidarity march to raise awareness about women's safety and crime against women. LSR students also organised a protest in response to the incident (Shukla, 2026).
The Pinjra Tod, which started in 2015, is a collective of more than 50 students in various universities in India, and they protested against the curfews in women's hostels and campuses. They work together to petition, investigate, and address women's freedom and sexual harassment in colleges (openDemocracy, n.d.).
In June, 2015, Open Democracy reports that hundreds of girls in Indraprastha College, Delhi University petitioned the university by sending out an anonymous letter to the warden about the lack of latches for the hostel bathrooms (openDemocracy, n.d.).
Their concern was received negatively as the Principal of the University cautioned them against sending out letters and would attend to the matter in her own time. The importance of the door latches was to ward off wardens who were capable of storming into the bathrooms unannounced.
This incident with the 17-year-old minor is just one of the many cases connected to the collective that has been going on for years, and it has provoked the attention of the government.
A recent article reported by the media stated that the Supreme Court of India has pushed for accountability for the rape cases reported in the past month. They termed the rise of rape and sexual assault a failure of law enforcement, and the Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, has assured improved security (Reuters, 2026).
The month of September saw so much rape and sexual assault that it calls for more than just better lighting or security at entrances. It calls for a better and safer environment, enforcement of legal action against offenders, and most importantly, freedom and equality for both genders.
References:
- Newslaundry. (2026, September 26). "They whistle and masturbate": LSR students say harassment routine long before Aastha Kunj gang-rape. https://www.newslaundry.com
- Outlook India. (n.d.). Restricted entry in Delhi parks after sunset post Astha Kunj gang-rape. https://www.outlookindia.com
- openDemocracy. (n.d.). Breaking free: A women's movement in Indian universities. https://www.opendemocracy.net
- Purkayastha, I. (2015, September 23). #PinjraTod: Delhi students protest sexist women's hostel rules. The Quint. https://thequint.com
- Reuters. (2026, September 28). India's top court says need to fix accountability over Delhi rape cases, media reports. bdnews24. https://bdnews24.com
- Shukla, V. (2026, September 28). "Auratein Aazad Hai": Miranda House plans protest march over women's safety after alleged assault on minor. Careers360. https://news.careers360.com
- ThePrint. (2026, September 24). 13 rape, sexual assault cases reported across Delhi-NCR since September began. https://theprint.in
- The Daily Jagran. (2026). DU students hold protest, demand safer public spaces for women after Aastha Kunj gang rape case. https://www.thedailyjagran.com