Ryan murder case: Conductor’s bail plea moved, family meets him in jail

The bail application was submitted in the court of district and additional sessions judge Rajni Yadav, which issued a notice to CBI seeking a reply.

The bail application of Ashok Kumar, who was accused of the murder of an 8-year old boy at Ryan International School on September 8, was submitted in a Gurgaon special court on Friday. The move comes after the CBI, which is investigating the case, announced on Wednesday that a Class 11 student of the school was responsible for the murder of Pradhyumn Thakur.

The Gurgaon police had earlier accused Ashok Kumar of murdering the eight-year-old. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Earlier in the day, the family members of Kumar, including his father, met him at Bhondsi jail.

The bail application was submitted in the court of district and additional sessions judge Rajni Yadav, which issued a notice to CBI seeking a reply. The next date of hearing was set for November 16, and the court will hear arguments from both sides before deciding on Ashok’s bail plea.

Ashok’s lawyer Mohit Verma, who moved the application, said that CBI has given a clean chit to his client as there was no evidence against him in connection with the murder. He also asserted that the theory put forth by Gurgaon Police was “wrong from the start” and he had been forced to admit guilt despite being innocent.

Legal experts, meanwhile, said that if Ashok Kumar is found innocent, then the CBI should get him discharged. They also said that this would also mean that police had detained Kumar illegally. The legal experts also raised the issue of possible compensation for Ashok over the apparent victimisation, vilification and loss of reputation suffered by him due to the arrest in the case.

On Friday morning, family members of the bus conductor, including his wife and father, met him at district jail in Bhondsi. “Ashok was very quiet and is scared of what has been going on in this case. Although he was told that he had been cleared by the CBI, but he still appears to have not gathered the importance of the development taking place outside,” said Anand Kumar, his brother.

Ashok’s family also said that not much could be discussed in the short period of time they met him. “We met him in the presence of police and the family members were very jittery and nervous. Ashok appeared to be in great turmoil and we hope he will be released soon,” added Kumar.