‘I am scared to enter class’: Ryan victim’s friend wants to change school

Ryan International School in Bhondsi, Gurgaon, reopened on Monday, 10 days after a Class 2 boy was murdered inside the school toilet. Only 5 of the victim’s classmates turned up at school and his best friend is reportedly in trauma.

The best friend of the Class 2 boy, who was murdered on September 8 morning in a toilet of Ryan International School, Bhondsi, fears that memories of his slain friend may haunt him every time he goes to the water cooler or toilet, where they used to go together.

Students at Ryan International School, Bhondsi, after it reopened after 10 days on Monday. The school has been closed again for four days. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

The victim had been excited about this friend’s birthday the day he was murdered. The identity of the boy has been withheld on the request of his father.

His father said the boy has been scared since the incident as he had seen the body in a pool of blood and the entire school being surrounded by the police. Since that day he has not slept properly and the parents have planned to visit a counsellor to ensure he is out of trauma.

“It was my birthday and I had got extra chocolates for him. He had asked me to keep them separate for him. I could not meet him. When I reached the school, he had been killed. I cried a lot when the seniors told us that he is no more. I will not be able to celebrate my birthday normally as I lost my best friend on the day,” said the Class 2 student.

“We both used to sit together. We used to have our tiffin on the same bench. He was very fond of sweets and whenever there was a birthday celebration in the class, he used to get very excited. I am unable to sleep since the day he has been murdered and I have no courage to sit in the same class. I feel he is with me and walking with me, I can feel his presence so I am very scared,” the boy said.

His father said the two boys were very close and he would often asked his mother to cook the victim’s favourite dessert. He doesn’t want to continue studying in the same school.

“I don’t want to continue to study in the same school, as he was my best friend and he will follow me wherever I will go. I had seen his bag in the class and the water bottle, which was his favourite. I am very scared to enter the building,” said Aditya Raj Singh Chauhan, another classmate of the victim.

“My son used to sleep in his room alone but since that day, he sleeps with us and is very scared to go to the toilet alone even at home. I cannot leave my son in this condition. He has literally begged me not to send him to the same school. I came to show him the atmosphere inside the school premises but he refused to study here,” said Aditya’s father, Amar Singh Chauhan.

The students of Class 2 are very scared to go back to school.

“My daughter wants me to escort her to the school and class. The students will need to find the courage to attend the school. Most of the Class 2 students are shaken by the brutal murder but we are helpless and have to send children to the school as we cannot afford to miss classes for long,” said Swati Singh, mother of a Class 2 girl student.