The molestation of a 32-year-old woman on the terrace of a building in the bustling Connaught Place have not only shaken the National Capital but also turned the spotlight on a rather ubiquitous spot – the rooftops.
While the police are yet to track down the suspect in the last week’s crime, the bigger concern at hand for citizens is unhindered access to terraces of several buildings across the city, discovered DNA through a ground study.
This correspondent visited the same H Block where the woman was groped. Despite the public outrage over the assault, neither the terrace was locked nor any security arrangement was in place. The rooftops across the H-Block are interconnected. This means once a person climbs one of them, he/she can hop onto the others to have an easy escape.
A few of the terraces had makeshift rooms for building employees and staff, while a portion of the common space was being used for sunbathing. The startling part was that many of those present on the terraces had nothing to do the buildings. It wasn’t their place in the first place. They didn’t work there either.
The suspect groped and flashed the woman after he followed her all the way up to the terrace. That the crime was committed during office hours and on the rooftop of an office building also highlights the need for a security system on terraces to bar random people from entering the space.
Connaught Place, known as the heart of the National Capital, sees huge footfall, including foreigners. When this correspondent spoke to some people on how safe they felt in CP, a handful of men blamed alcohol and party joints as the reason for rising cases of molestation. A few working women said it was a regular site to see men in parking lots and bylanes touching their private parts with impunity.
Others were of the opinion that there should be mandatory rules to curb access to terraces by all and sundry. This will add some amount of safety to the rooftops, they said.
TERRACES TURN MAKESHIFT ROOMS
- A few of the terraces had makeshift rooms for building employees and staff, while a portion of the common space was being used for sunbathing
- The startling part was that many of those present on the terraces had nothing to do the buildings. It wasn’t their place in the first place. They didn’t work there either.
EXPERT SPEAK
Delhi Police handles crime against women complaints with utmost care and concern. Our main aim is to arrest the accused as soon as the crime is reported to us and bring him to the books. As far as the security of rooftops is concerned we will try and pursue the building owners so that they can device a safety mechanism. If any outsider has to visit the terrace for some work, they need to take prior permission from the security staff of the building or the officer if any is there
—Dependra Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police.
VOICES
I think the freedom given to women is the cause for the crime against them. Women get drunk, smoke and party till late. I believe most of the harassment and rape cases turn out to be fake.”
—Rishi, staff member of Indira Palace located in H-block of Connaught Place
Male members of my family including me work mostly on ground floors and in offices while my wife stays up. She didn’t see or hear anything that day. I cannot under stand the motive of accused
—Rajendra, maintenance staff. He stays on the adjoining terrace where incident took place
“It is scary that at workplace as well women have to face such trauma. The incident took place in a posh locality like Connaught Place, if we are not safe at our workplace, I wonder what life are we leading.
—Banoshree Roy, engineering student
“Molestation is equally derogatory as rape and mentally damaging. Victim has to go through everlasting trauma. Government should make amendments in law and impose harsher penalties on convicts.
—Tanushree Roy, schoolteacher
Now, we are not even safe in our house. Terrace of my house is connected to other houses. This incident has made me think not just my safety alone, but also of my family members. Easy entry to building indicates that no one is out of danger from strangers.
—Dikshant Saxena, engineer
It is sad that women are not safe even at their workplace. I am of the opinion that women should carry a weapon for self defence, as the crime against women is on the rise. I feel ashamed to say that women are not safe anywhere.
—Dipanshu Malik, student
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