Gurgaon: CBI takes fingerprints of juvenile accused in Ryan murder case

The juvenile was apprehended on November 7 in connection with the murder of an eight-year-old student of Ryan International School, Bhondsi, on September 8

A three-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday took the fingerprints of the 16-year-old juvenile accused in the Ryan murder case, lodged at an observation home in Faridabad.

The juvenile accused has been lodged at the observation home in Faridabad since November 11. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

The juvenile was apprehended on November 7 in connection with the murder of an eight-year-old Pradhyumn Thakur, a student of Ryan International School, Bhondsi, on September 8. He has been lodged at the observation home since November 11.

The Juvenile Justice Board, Gurgaon, on December 13, allowed the probe agency to take fingerprints of the juvenile accused in the case. The family of the juvenile had opposed the CBI application for the same, but the board directed the accused to give his fingerprints to the investigating officer, in the presence of his lawyer and parents, at the Faridabad observation home on Tuesday.

The family members opposed the CBI action after reaching the observation home when they learned the CBI officials were already inside the home since 1pm. The parents of the juvenile accused said the time to take the fingerprints was decided for 2pm and asked why had the CBI officials entered the home an hour before.

The father of the juvenile alleged that the board had ordered the investigating agency to take the fingerprints in front of the family members and the counsel at 2pm.

The team took more than an hour to the fingerprints, the father said.

“They took fingerprints on five different pages of all the fingers and thumb. We had not objected to this. We had visited the CBI headquarters on October 6 for the same but they did not take it. We were cooperating with the CBI officials in their investigations, but were unaware that supporting them would frame my son in the case,” said the father of the juvenile accused.

The uncle of juvenile said the CBI officials had already taken the fingerprints during the three-day custody, he was offered only one glass during the three days to drink water. “We cannot understand the CBI’s intention of taking the fingerprints again,” said uncle of the juvenile.

The order had said if juvenile’s lawyer or parents fail to show up at the observation home within the stipulated time, then the CBI should go ahead with the process of taking his fingerprints.

Meanwhile, the juvenile’s counsel moved an appeal at the session’s court on Tuesday against the rejection of the bail plea of the juvenile accused. The court will hear the appeal on December 21.