To remain open from 9 am to 5 pm Naina Mishra Chandigarh, December 10 In the wake of the molestation incident reported at the crack of dawn from Panjab University’s botanical garden, the Vice-Chancellor has ordered to restrict the timings of the garden. A public notice issued by the Department of Botany stated that the garden would remain open only during the official hours between 9 am and 5 pm from Monday to Friday and will remain closed on Saturday and Sunday. Prof Ashwani Koul, Chief University Security, convened a meeting with the Vice-Chancellor today where it was decided to install CCTV cameras at key locations around the campus. The issue of raising the height of the wall was taken up with the Municipal Corporation authorities. The issue of installing barbed wires above the wall was also deliberated upon. The molester had tried to drag the woman journalist towards the low-height wall in the adjoining pharmacy garden. This is not the first time that the university botanical garden is in the news for the wrong reasons. The area behind the garden is a forest and is connected to the Sarangpur village road. The low-height wall of the pharmacy garden adjoining the botanical garden allows easy entry to trespassers. Last year, a PU student had submitted a complaint to the Panjab University Committee Against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) alleging that a gardener was hiding behind a tree naked while she waited for her friends at the botanical garden. The gardener was given the benefit of the doubt in the case by PUCASH. The committee was of the opinion that the person who harassed the woman could be from outside the university as his identity could not be established. The committee had recommended to raise the height of the wall of the garden.

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