+1 boy killed 7-yr-old Ryan student: CBI

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, Nov ember 8

The CBI has arrested a Plus One student for the September 8 murder of a seven-year-old student in Ryan International School on the Sohna road, raising a question mark on the Gurugram police investigation in the case.

The accused allegedly murdered Pradyuman Thakur, a Class II student, to get the upcoming parent-teacher meeting (PTM) and examination postponed, claimed the central probe agency.

(Follow ; and )

The 16-year-old boy was arrested late last night and produced in a juvenile court, which remanded him in CBI custody for three days. Pradyuman was found dead with his throat slit near a school toilet.

The accused, a Sohna resident, had all along been a key witness in the case. He was the first to raise the alarm about Pradyuman lying in a pool of blood near the toilet.

The Gurugram police had then arrested school bus conductor Ashok Kumar, claiming he had killed the student for catching him in a compromising position and resisting a molestation attempt. The inquiry was handed over to the CBI after Pradyuman’s parents questioned the police theory.

“There was no sexual assault on Pradyuman,” the CBI said in a statement.

The accused, believed to be weak in his studies, allegedly slit Pradyuman’s throat to force the school to declare a holiday in order to defer a scheduled PTM  and an exam, the agency said.

“The accused was disturbed and was being counselled. He has confessed to planning the murder to get the examination delayed. He had even told his friends not to prepare for the exams,” the agency said.

The CBI collected all elements of crime by analysing the CCTV footage, scientific and forensic examination, analysis of the crime scene and by questioning students, teachers and staff of the school, said CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal.

The CBI did not find any evidence against the driver. The murder weapon, a knife, was found in the commode of the toilet where the killing allegedly took place, he said.

The murder suspect’s family, however, has accused the CBI of framing their child. “Had he been the culprit, would he have waited to get caught? We have been cooperating with the authorities from day one. My son’s only fault was that he saw the boy and rushed out to inform the school authorities.

“He was questioned numerous times by the police and the CBI... I have sympathy with Pardyuman’s family but my child should not be framed,” said the father of the accused.

Pradyuman’s family has demanded strict punishment. “He should be tried as an adult and hanged. We still believe there was a larger conspiracy,” said Sushil Tekriwal, counsel for Pradyuman’s family. Haryana Police chief BS Sandhu said: “The CBI has arrested one more person and the investigation is on.”

Holes in police theory

• The Gurugram police after questioning 100 people arrested bus conductor Ashok Kumar, claiming he had confessed to the killing after trying to sexually assault the boy. The CBI denied any such attempt was made
• The police rested the probe on video footage showing the conductor entering or Pradyuman stumbling out 
• of the toilet. The CBI got blurred visuals cleared at a Hyderabad lab, revealing five people near the toilet at that time
• The police claimed the murder weapon, a knife, was found on the conductor. The CBI reportedly found it in the toilet commode. Four students and a teacher told the CBI they had seen the student with a knife the day before killing, say sources.