A well-lit pathway can give way to darkness within a few turns. A guarded entrance at one end may be undone by an unmanned gate at another. Across some of Delhi’s sprawling parks, lighting, visibility and security change sharply from one stretch to the next, leaving secluded pockets within otherwise busy public spaces.The conditions assume significance after the alleged gang rape of a minor at Aastha Kunj Park brought safety inside the capital’s green spaces into focus. TOI visits some of them.
Delhi parks fail safety tests
MAZE OF UNLIT TRAILSAt Buddha Jayanti Park in Central Ridge, a few steps are enough to move from a manicured pathway into a maze of overgrown tracks. Gate No. 2 was still open at 6pm. Cars could drive into the parking area, but there was no guard stationed at the entrance. From there, a lane on the left stretched towards the canteen. This was groomed, easy to follow and lined with lamp posts, though the lights had not been switched on as the park neared its closing time.But take the tracks to the right, and the setting changes abruptly. Narrow trails disappeared into thick, unkempt vegetation, some seemingly running endlessly into the bushes. At places, shrubs hung so low over the tracks that one had to stoop to pass. Unlike the peripheral path, where lamp posts stood roughly 50 metres apart, several of these inner tracks had no visible lighting at all. There were few people around: a family of three, a few couples and a biker. “I have a field job and there is no entry fee here, so I came to the park to rest,” the biker said.According to the timings displayed on a board, the park remains open from 5am to 7pm between April 1 and Sept 30, and 6am to 6pm from Oct 1 to March 31. At 6.15pm, toilets were being locked, and people were asked to leave the park. Yet, with the entrance unguarded and several secluded tracks cutting through the vegetation, monitoring who remained inside appeared to rest largely on a final sweep of the grounds.A guard in civilian clothes, carrying a stick, was seen telling visitors to leave. “I check the whole park to make sure everyone has left. Then I lock it,” he said. “Four people are there to look after it, but the others have gone to their villages. So, I am the only one here. I have already locked one gate at 6pm. Now I have to lock the other.”In 2003, a 17-year-old DU student was raped by two members of the President’s Bodyguard inside this park. Four personnel were ultimately convicted. In 2010, two drivers associated with Delhi Police were arrested for allegedly attempting to rape a woman and assaulting her companion inside the park.WHEN PHONE FLASHLIGHT IS A MUSTThe phone flashlight comes out before the evening walk is over. At several points inside Rohini’s Swarn Jayanti Park, visitors use it to find their way through the darkness. For a park’s safety check, it’s an immediate red flag. Spread across 170 acres, Japanese Park, as it is popularly known, has gardens, boating areas and picnic spots. The crowds and lights at the entrance can make it feel alive. However, the deeper one goes, the harder it is to spot a guard or even another visitor.In 2013, a businessman’s body with his throat slit was found in a lake inside the park, after which the park was reportedly shut before reopening in 2015. In 2017, two 19-year-old cousins were chased and stabbed to death inside the park. In Jan 2026, an 18-year-old was stabbed to death.A recent spot check found a guard at Gate 1 near the parking area, but little security was visible inside. At several points, visitors used phone flashlights to walk. The closing time appeared another grey area. Some said it is 7.30pm, others 8pm. Yet people remained inside beyond these timings. Google lists it as open till 11pm. Given the park’s size and dense stretches, someone venturing too deep could even struggle to find his way back. Tushali, a resident from a nearby area, said she avoids going deep after dark. Sima, a regular visitor, said she knows which areas to avoid and claimed couples, gamblers and smokers gather deeper inside. Anushka, visiting with her husband, said she felt fine when accompanied but found the isolated stretches uncomfortable when alone.TRESPASSERS FOX GUARDSAt Vijay Mandal Park in Begumpur, a short walk from Sri Aurobindo College, the evening deadline appeared to mark the end of official access, but not necessarily of movement into the park. The green space, frequented by walkers and college students during the day, was dimly lit as darkness set in. Lamp posts were there, but dark pockets still existed as some people walked and jogged around. One woman had her phone flashlight on. A board at the entrance listed the park’s timings as 5am to 8pm.At 8pm, two guards shut the main gate, stopping people from entering and asking those inside to leave. Yet, two people could be seen scaling the iron grille along the park’s boundary and jumping inside at that very moment.A guard stationed at the entrance said there is another gate on the opposite side of the park. “But we aren’t sure if that gate is still open or whether the guards on that side will man it after 8pm,” he said. Some students said poor lighting added to their unease. “Trespassers are common. For women, it’s not safe. There should be more lighting,” said Manish, a second-year Sri Aurobindo College student. Himani, another second-year student, said she avoids the park after sunset. Some visitors alleged that people entered the park just to consume drugs.A Congress worker was beaten and shot dead while taking a morning walk in this park last year, while in 2023, a woman was hit with an iron rod and killed in broad daylight.NEITHER BLEAK NOR PERFECTSheesh Mahal Park in Shalimar Bagh presents a mixed picture. The DDAmanaged park is mostly well lit with guard rooms at several points. But its quiet, secluded stretches have witnessed serious crime.In 2017, a 16-year-old girl was gang-raped inside the park, while her male friend was assaulted and robbed. The case exposed the park’s dark patches at that time — from faulty high-mast lights, broken boundary walls (now, there’s a grille) and a shortage of guards. In Aug 2023, a labourer was found dead inside the park, with police registering a case of murder.At the entrance, a board called it a “family park” and warned against “indecent activities”. As the sun set and the crowd thinned, much of the park remained lit. But deep inside, several lights were not working, and dark patches appeared here and there. Urmila, returning from work, said she avoids the quieter stretches because the lights are often on the blink.Dinesh Sharma, who was with his daughter, said things were different three to four years ago, when gamblers used to frequent the park. Since exArmy personnel became guards, things are “way better”, he claimed.TOI found seven to eight guards stationed at one point, who said they patrol the park. Still, the dark stretches remained. For visitors, the equation is simple: guards help, but a faulty light or two can still turn a lush patch into a blind spot.
