Ryan school murder: Accused bus conductor’s judicial custody extended by 14 days
Kumar was produced in the court through video conferencing due to sensitivity of the matter and threat to him. He is accused of murdering the victim after a failed sexual assault on him.
The first accused in Ryan school murder case, 42-year-old bus conductor Ashok Kumar was produced before a Gurgaon special court on Friday through video conferencing, after his judicial custody ended. He was produced through video conferencing from Bhondsi jail. He was further remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
Ashok Kumar, a bus conductor who has been accused for the murder of Ryan International School student Pradhyumn Thakur, being produced before a special court in Gurgaon, on September 12, 2017. (Sanjeev Verma/HT File Photo)
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On Thursday, the hearing into bail plea of Kumar was adjourned till November 20. Kumar was produced in the court through video conferencing due to sensitivity of the matter and threat to him. He is accused of murdering the victim after a failed sexual assault on him.
Kumar was arrested by the Gurgaon police for murder of Class 2 student Pradhyumn Thakur at Ryan international school, Bhondsi. The CBI, which took over investigations in the case, had on November 7 apprehended a Class 11 student of the school and said that the murder was carried out by him while ruling out the sexual assault angle.
“The argument of the case is pending for November 20, my client is innocent and he is framed by the Gurgaon police. The CCTV footage shown in the courtroom does not prove his role in the murder. He was seen entering the corridor after the victim but before the juvenile”, said advocate Mohit Verma, Kumar’s lawyer.
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The entire proceeding on Thursday was in-camera and the CBI team had shown two CCTV footages which had captured the movement of the victim, Kumar, and the juvenile accused. All three were seen entering, but the exit was not clear.
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The entire proceeding on Thursday was in-camera and the CBI team had shown two CCTV footages which had captured the movement of the victim, Kumar, and the juvenile accused. All three were seen entering, but the exit was not clear.
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“In the footage, Pradhyumn is seen going towards the toilet but turns back and then again goes to the toilet. Kumar is seen following him towards the toilet. After Kumar enters, gardener Harpal is also seen going towards the toilet and is followed by the juvenile accused,” said Verma.
The DNA report of the victim is still pending and the CBI is expected to submit it to the court on the next hearing.
Additional district and sessions judge Rajni Yadav during the hearing had asked CBI officials to do their homework and to collect the DNA report which should have been in their records by now.
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Yadav asked them to get more material and evidence.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
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