Broken walls, no barbed fencing: The crime was waiting to happen

Broken walls and absence of barbed fencing at many places on the periphery of the Panjab University (PU) campus reveal that the incident of molestation, which was reported on Monday, was waiting to
happen.

In the horrific incident that took place near the university’s botanical garden at 7.30am on Monday, a woman journalist was injured after a middle-aged unidentified man tried to molest her. The suspect is believed to have entered from a low wall of the pharmacy garden next to the botanical garden, where the woman usually goes for the morning walk.

After visiting the peripheral sites around the campus, Hindustan times found out that at many places, including the botanical garden, the walls are broken and low from where anyone can easily sneak in or escape. The walls near the department of laws, behind the botanical garden, and at many places in the university and its south campus can be easily climbed by anyone at anytime. as there is no fencing installed.

On Monday, a meeting was held among the PU authorities regarding the incident and later, the case was taken over by the UT police.

PU registrar professor Karamjeet Singh said, “The university is taking necessary measures to curb such kind of incidents in future. Taking a serious note of the security of residents, especially women residents of the campus, the chief of university security, professor Ashwani Koul, has been asked to take all necessary steps on priority and to plug the loopholes, if any, immediately.”

Koul said, “We have been very sensitive as our boundaries are perforated at many places. We have written to the UT administration a multiple times to seek permission for raising the height of the wall, but in vain.”

“However, after the incident, we have again requested the authorities to allow us to increase the height of the peripheral walls,” he added.