Pradyumn killing: Family, lawyers want Class 11 student to be tried as adult

A 16-year-old Class 11 student of the school has been detained by the CBI for allegedly killing the seven-year-old to postpone exams and a parent-teacher meeting.

The family and lawyers of a Ryan school student who was murdered inside the school premises demanded that a 16-year-old boy apprehended in the case by the CBI on Wednesday be tried as an adult and be given strict punishment.

File photo of a police team arriving at Ryan International School in Gurgaon to investigate the murder of a Class 2 student.(PTI)

They also expressed suspicion about the involvement of school authorities in “destruction of evidence” and sought that the top management officials of the school be questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the matter. (Highlights)

A Class 11 student who allegedly wanted to postpone a parent-teacher meeting and exams was detained late Tuesday night in connection with the killing of Pradyumn, the CBI said. The eight-year-old was found dead with his throat slit by a sharp-edged weapon inside the Gurgaon school on the morning of September 8.

The CBI did not find any evidence against bus conductor Ashok Kumar, who was the Gurgaon Police’s sole accused in the gruesome killing.

The murder weapon, a knife, was found in the commode of the toilet where the killing allegedly took place, said CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal. It was the same knife seized by the Gurgaon Police, he said.

“We demand strict punishment for the class XIth student. The (Juvenile Justice) Board also has the option of having him tried as an adult. The CBI has apprehended him based on evidence and we will assist the CBI and the court to ensure he is not allowed to go scot-free, is tried as an adult and hanged till death,” Sushil Tekriwal, the lawyer representing the victim’s family, told reporters.

The family accused the local police of botching up the investigation and said the CBI meticulously collected circumstantial evidences and facts in the killing of the Class 2 student of the Ryan International School. They also alleged a larger conspiracy behind the murder and said that they want the CBI to file a chargesheet soon.

Tekriwal also said the agency had yet not given a clean chit to the Pinto family – the trustees of Ryan International Group.

“There is a deep-rooted conspiracy that has been hatched on the part of various people including the student who has been apprehended. The legal battle is going to be long but we are waiting for the CBI to file the chargesheet in a time- bound manner,” he said.

The father of deceased Pradyumn also expressed satisfaction with the CBI’s progress in the case and demanded that all others involved in the conspiracy be brought to book.

“The kind of story which had come from the police initially was not believable. However, the CBI has apprehended this class XIth student and the reasons given by them justify it.

“However, all those whose negligence led to my son’s murder should also be questioned. They should be given strict punishment so that it sends out a positive message that no one can go scot-free after committing such a heinous crime,” he said.

After the CBI’s findings in the case came as a major embarrassment to the Haryana Police, state DGP BS Sandhu said there was no pressure on the police team probing the matter before it was handed over to the central agency.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar also defended the state police claiming that its investigations were not complete when the probe was handed over to the CBI.

The CBI was able to piece together elements of the crime by analysing the CCTV footage, scientific and forensic examination, analysis of the crime scene and by questioning students, teachers and staff of the school, an official said.