No lights or approach road, Sec 71 still a troublespot

NEW DELHI/NOIDA: "Dilliwale hain...aap dhundh nahin payenge aur aap ladki hain...is jagah pe aana to din mein bhi aadmiyon ke liye bhi khatre se khali nahin hai (You are from Delhi, you won't be able to find the place. You are a woman as well, this place is unsafe even for men during the day)," laughed a local in a non-descript rural pocket right behind Noida's Sector 71 where an MBA student from Delhi was gangraped by 10 men.However, he then went on to give directions to the crime scene and gave his phone number as well, just in case of an emergency.
His concern was not unfounded. According to residents of Sector 71 and adjoining localities, the area is extremely unsafe, especially after dark. "We call it the lover's point because many couples come here in their cars to get some privacy as this place is absolutely out of the way and secluded. What they don't realise is that it's also very unsafe. There are no lights in the area, nor any proper approach road. It's just an open farmland which can conceal vehicles and humans alike," said Rajbir Yadav, a local. He added that drug abuse, robbery and chain snatching were rampant. "Only people who want to do something shady come here other than the contractors overseeing construction work in progress. They too leave before sun-down. After that, it's jungle raj here," said another local. He added that a request for street lights had already been made.
When asked, police officials said that they weren't oblivious to the situation. "We have received several complaints in the past, but it's difficult to keep a watch there. In the rape case, the accused knew the place well and used the seclusion to their advantage. Firstly, Noida Police is grossly understaffed and to keep a watch on a place like this, even if our strength is increased by 100%, it would be impossible. No amount of personnel can guarantee that nothing of the sort will happen in an area as vast as this. People themselves have to be careful," said a senior police official.
"We are planning to conduct surprise combing operations. We will also issue advisories to general public to avoid secluded areas," said the cop.