Students protest murder, CM meets family

New Delhi: Hundreds of students from various colleges in Delhi University's South Campus on Wednesday protested the killing of 20-year-old Radhika Tanwar, who was shot dead in broad daylight a day earlier, possibly by a "stalker".

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit met her parents and condoled her death while assuring justice to her family, but college-going youngsters were visibly angry over the lack of safety for women in the capital.

The students gathered near the Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm (ARSD) College and demanded security in the campus be beefed up, especially during evening. They also raised slogans against Dikshit and the police.

"Students from all the nearby colleges are coming to join the protest. We want this campus to be safe for everyone, especially girls," said Saddam Hussain, a first year History (Hons) student at Ram Lal Anand College, the institution where Radhika was studying.

The students were visibly angry. One of them said they were planning to march towards India Gate to highlight their demands.

"If today Radhika has been murdered, tomorrow it can be someone else. This is just not acceptable. After all, this is the capital of the country. We can't live in fear any more," said a livid Preeti Arora, a second year English (Hons) student at ARSD college.

Ankita Srivastava, upset over the lack of safety for women in Delhi, pointed out that this was the state of affairs in spite of the chief minister being a woman.

"This is the state of affairs when our chief minister is a lady. What a shame. She moves around in five-six cars with armed bodyguards but what about us who travel by buses and Metros? Who will protect us?" asked Srivastava, a third year student of Motilal Nehru College.

Radhika, a resident of Naraina area in west Delhi, was a second year student in college. Police say the assailant may be a 'stalker'. Just as Radhika stepped down from a foot overbridge near the college, a man shot at her from the back and disappeared into the crowd. The area, which has a number of colleges and shops, is usually abuzz with students and office-goers in the morning.