Kalkaji gang rape puts spotlight back on safety of women, children in Delhi

The alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at Astha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir on the evening of September 21 has put the spotlight back on the safety of women and children in the Capital, following a string of similar incidents reported over the past fortnight. National Commission for Women (NCW) data show 2,206 complaints of crimes against women in Delhi were received between January 1 and September 22 this year.

On Monday evening, the 17-year-old and her male friend visited Kalkaji Mandir in South East Delhi before entering the nearby Astha Kunj Park through Gate No. 7. Around 7.30 PM, three men approached the pair, impersonated police officers and accused them of wrongdoing. The three dragged the girl to a secluded area, where they assaulted her while threatening her with a firearm and a knife. A police control room (PCR) call was made at 8.45 PM, leading to emergency response and forensic examination at AIIMS.

Following an investigation, the police intercepted one suspect, identified as Asif, on DM Office Road in Amar Colony on September 22. After he opened fire on police officers, Asif was injured in retaliatory firing and taken into custody. The remaining two accused, Hemant and Mukesh, were also arrested shortly after.

Previous incidents

Earlier this month, on September 10, a 17-year-old girl was abducted, gang-raped and killed in Swaroop Nagar, Outer Delhi. Her body was discovered in an open field on the night of September 12. Four individuals were apprehended in connection with the crime, including three juveniles.

In a separate incident on September 16, a Class 6 student in North Delhi’s Sadar Bazar stepped out of her house around 11 PM to buy stationery. She was lured into a neighbourhood tailoring shop, where a 56-year-old man, identified as Maqsood, sexually assaulted her. The police responded to a PCR call that night, registered an FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and remanded the accused to judicial custody.

On September 21, a 34-year-old man, Ankit, was taken into police custody in Kishanganj, Central Delhi, following the reported sexual assault of a six-year-old girl.

Data on violence against women

The NCW data show the most complaints were received under domestic violence, at 1,208, followed by criminal intimidation at 229. A total of 51 complaints were received under the category of rape and attempt to rape.

The highest number of complaints were received from New Delhi district (624), followed by South Delhi (223). North West and West Delhi reported 221 cases each. Within the New Delhi district, the largest share of complaints was under the domestic violence (44.07%) category, followed by criminal intimidation (11.06%) and sexual harassment (8.01%). In South Delhi, domestic violence accounted for 46.64%, criminal intimidation 13.45% and sexual harassment 10.31%.

Decline in cases

In 2025, the Delhi Police logged a decline in crimes against women compared with 2024. Rape cases fell from 1,919 in 2024 to 1,737 in 2025, a reduction of 9.48%. The rape case disposal rate was 97.06% in 2025, down from 97.66% in 2024.

A sharper decline was seen in molestation cases, which fell from 1,897 to 1,591, a drop of 16.13%. The disposal rate improved slightly from 93.67% to 93.97%.

The NCW, meanwhile, received 2,501 complaints of crimes against women through 2025, up from 2,245 in 2024.

A senior police official attributed the city’s consistently high numbers of rape incidents to its large migrant population. “It is difficult to keep track of them. Nobody monitors their arrival, and they continue to enter Delhi without any systematic way of recording them. Multiple areas, particularly densely populated districts, see high incidents of such crimes where migrants from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Odisha and other States reside,” the official said.

Administration’s efforts

In June 2026, the Delhi Police set up an all-woman police station. Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said the facility would offer women a space to report complaints without fear or hesitation. He expressed confidence that the presence of female officers throughout the policing process would encourage more victims to step forward and seek justice.

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The station focuses on investigating offences such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, dowry-related abuse, stalking and cyber harassment. Specially trained female police officers have been deployed to ensure timely action and victim-centric support.

Police claim the station has encouraged more complainants to come forward. Seventeen FIRs had been registered till August 6, up from nine till July 19 — an increase of 88.9%.

Till July 19, the station had received 154 complaints, of which 23 were disposed of, and had taken over 298 complaints from the Crimes Against Women cell, of which 47 were disposed of.