Protesting parents lathi-charged
Sumedha Sharma
Tribune News Service
Gurugram, September 10
Angry parents today staged a protest outside Ryan International School here, demanding a CBI probe into the brutal murder of seven-year-old Class II student Pradyuman Thakur. As a liquor shop, barely 50 metres from the school, was set ablaze, the police resorted to a lathi-charge after their plea that the area be vacated was 'ignored', triggering yet another controversy.
Mediapersons accused the police of selectively targeting them during the lathi-charge. This was denied by the Police Commissioner.
(Follow ; and )
Blaming the school for failure to ensure the child's safety, leading to his murder inside a loo, the Haryana Government today ordered that the school owner and management be booked for negligence. “They failed everybody — the students and the parents. The school cannot be derecognised as the future of 1,200 students is at stake, but we have told the police to book the owner, Albert Pinto, under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Punishment) Act, 2015, and submit a charge-sheet in court within seven days,” Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said.
He said the school staff had easy access to student toilets, which had broken windows. The school boundary wall was broken too. "The government is not averse to a probe by the the Central Bureau of Investigation or any other agency, if the parents of the deceased boy so wish."
Condemning the incident, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said: “It’s unacceptable that the police first beat up mediapersons and then the Education Minister misbehaves with them when they raise the issue.”
“The Education Department has failed to keep a check on these money-miniting schools that do not follow norms and the students have to face the consequences. We want a thorough investigation and strict action so that the schools know that a child's safety is their responsibility,” the former Chief Minister said.
‘Accused carried victim to hospital’
Gurugram: Accused bus conductor Ashok Kumar carried Pradyuman in his lap to school's medical room and then to the hospital, according to preliminary investigations. “The child, whom he dumped in a corner after slitting the throat, mustered strength to walk till the toilet door and then collapsed. He was spotted by a teacher and two students who called for help. The accused came running and was too eager to assist,” said a cop.
5-yr-old raped in Delhi school
New Delhi: A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 40-year-old peon of Tagore Public School in Shahdara area on Saturday. The accused has been arrested. The Delhi Police Commissioner has asked district police chiefs to talk to schools and to conduct regular security audits. “The schools should hire staff from authorised agencies, get police verification of the staff and instal CCTV cameras inside the premises,” he said. PTI
