Ryan murder case: Trustees get anticipatory bail from high court

Court imposes conditions while granting bail to group CEO Ryan Pinto and his parents—founding chairman Augustine Pinto and managing director Grace Pinto

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to three trustees of the Ryan International Group in connection with the killing of a student in its Bhondsi branch.

The Haryana government had recommended a CBI probe in the matter. The agency took over the probe in the case on September 22. (HT File Photo)

The single bench of Justice Surinder Gupta also imposed various conditions while granting bail to group CEO Ryan Pinto and his parents—founding chairman Augustine Pinto and managing director Grace Pinto.

“The high court has granted anticipatory bail to them (Pintos),” Sushil Tekriwal, the lawyer representing the victim Pradyumn Thakur’s family, said, adding they will challenge the decision in the apex court.

The court said the Pintos will not try to influence the witnesses, tamper with any evidence or leave the country without permission of the court. They will present themselves before the CBI for interrogation whenever asked by the agency, Tekriwal said.

The Pintos are being represented by advocate Sandeep Kapur.

Tekriwal said, “We will file an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging order of granting anticipatory bail after studying the judgement.”

As the hearing resumed on Tuesday, the CBI counsel submitted a status report in a sealed cover in connection with the case.

On October 7, the high court had granted interim bail to the three trustees.

Class 2 student Pradyumn Thakur was found with his throat slit outside the school washroom in Bhondsi on September 8. School bus conductor Ashok Kumar was arrested by Haryana police as the prime accused in the case.

The Haryana government recommended a CBI probe in the matter. The premier investigating agency took over the probe in the case on September 22. Now, the CBI probing the matter has accused a 16-year student of murdering the child with the motive of getting examinations and a parent-teacher meeting postponed.

A Gurgaon civil court granted bail to Kumar on a bond of Rs50,000 on Tuesday.