Gurgaon school murder case: Juvenile’s custody extended till Feb 12

The CBI is expected to file the charge-sheet in the murder case by February 4. The juvenile’s bail application has been rejected twice since his arrest in Novemver last year.

The Gurgaon special children’s court on Tuesday extended the custody of the juvenile accused in the murder of a second standard student until February 12. The accused in lodged in a Faridabad observation home.

The juvenile was arrested by the CBI for allegedly murdering a Calss 2 student inside the school’s toilet on September 8. (HT PHOTO)

The custody was originally extended till February 13 but was reduced by a day on the request of the accused’s counsel who pointed out that Tuesday and Friday are the meeting days with the family members at the observation home. The parents would not be able to meet the juvenile if judicial custody ended on Tuesday or Friday as the CBI will then have to produce the accused before the court for a physical appearance.

The 16-year-old boy was remanded in the shelter on November 11, four days after the CBI arrested him, for allegedly murdering a fellow student at a private school in Gurgaon’s Bhondsi area last September.

Sandeep Aneja, the accused’s counsel, said his client was produced before the JS Kundu because his custody ended on Tuesday and they are waiting for the CBI to file the charge-sheet which is expected any day.

No arguments were presented at the hearing, he said.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 2 when arguments will be heard for four pending petitions filed by the defence counsel, including the preliminary assessment report and remand granted of the juvenile to the CBI.

“We have challenged the decision of the Juvenile Justice Board for treating the boy as an adult and the arguments will be heard on February 2,” said Aneja.

However, the father of the victim said he was satisfied with the court’s proceeding and is hopeful to get justice soon.

The charge-sheet is expected to be submitted before February 4, as the CBI has to file it within 90 days from the date of the juvenile’s arrest, said the counsel.

The bail application of the accused was rejected by the special children’s court on January 8. Earlier, the Juvenile Justice Board on December 15 dismissed the accused’s bail plea.

On January 8, the additional district and session judge ordered in-camera proceedings for all future hearings in the case.

Aneja had earlier moved an application under 10(5) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules-2016 to seek his release on bail.

The Juvenile Justice Board of Gurgaon ordered that the juvenile be tried as an adult on December 20, five days after it dismissed his bail plea application.

The victim was found with his throat slit outside a school toilet on the morning of September 8, 2017.