Gurugram school murder: PGIMS panel to reassess juvenile accused

A senior doctor of PGIMS Rohtak said the board, in its report, has observed that there is no scientific method to ascertain the suspect’s state of mind five years ago. However, with the help of old reports and records, the psychiatrists said they can offer an opinion after conducting a reassessment

Taking forward the hearing on the mental state of the juvenile accused, who has been charged with killing a seven-year-old boy at a prominent private school in Bhondsi in 2017, the Gurugram Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Friday shared the expert opinion of a panel of three psychiatrists from the Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) in Rohtak with all parties concerned.

Taking cognizance of the report, the JJB ruled that the suspect be taken to PGIMS Rohtak for a reassessment on September 19, following which the case will be heard again on September 21, when it is likely to announce its decision on this contentious matter. (Representative image/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The Rohtak team was tasked to form an opinion on the mental state of the accused at the time of the murder.

A senior doctor of PGIMS Rohtak said the board, in its report, has observed that there is no scientific method to ascertain the suspect’s state of mind five years ago. However, with the help of old reports and records, the psychiatrists said they can offer an opinion after conducting a reassessment.

Taking cognizance of the report, the JJB ruled that the suspect be taken to PGIMS Rohtak for a reassessment on September 19, following which the case will be heard again on September 21, when it is likely to announce its decision on this contentious matter.

To recap the case, the minor boy was found murdered in the toilet of his school on September 8, 2017. The case was initially investigated by the Haryana police and was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which apprehended the juvenile accused, who was 16 years old at the time of the crime and studied in class 11 of the same school. He turned 21 on April 3, this year.

The dead boy’s family has demanded that the juvenile be tried as an adult.

According to the victim’s father, the suspect’s mental and physical capacity to commit such an offence, his ability to understand the consequences of the offence and circumstances in which he committed the alleged crime are sufficient factors for the juvenile to be tried as an adult.

On July 13, the Supreme Court also dismissed a petition by the parents of dead boy, seeking a ruling against a high court order that asked the JJB to decide afresh whether the accused should stand trial as an adult or a minor.

Following this, on July 27, the JJB asked a team of psychiatrists from PGIMS Rohtak for their opinion on the mental state of the suspect at the time of the murder.