Ryan school murder: Cops stationed outside homes of two minor witnesses

The three students had seen the accused inside the toilet around the time of murder.

Two out of the three student witnesses in the Ryan murder case were given police protection on Tuesday after they gave statements before a duty magistrate in Sohna Court.

Though the witnesses’ parents were reluctant to involve their children in a murder trial, they agreed to come on record after assurances by the police. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

The statement of the third student will also be recorded soon.

Though the witnesses’ parents were reluctant to involve their children in a murder trial, they agreed to come on record after assurances by the police. The Gurgaon police has stationed policemen outside their homes.

“They are the prime witnesses and we have to ensure their safety... witnesses will be provided full security and their identities will not be revealed,” said Deputy commissioner of police, South Gurgaon, Ashok Bakshi.

Bakshi added that though the case has been cracked, providing security cover was important, “...only one accused is involved in the murder who has been arrested, but the trial has yet not started”.

The three students had seen the accused inside the toilet around the time of murder. They saw the accused school bus conductor, Ashok Kumar, when they went to change their uniform for Taekwondo class, the police said.

Statement of another witness, gardener Harpal has also been recorded. Police claim that Harpal also saw Kumar inside the toilet before the murder.

Kumar, who was arrested on September 8, has confessed before the police and on camera of some news channels that he killed the boy after attempting to molest him sexually.

The boy’s throat was slit twice with a knife that Kumar had carried with him inside the toilet.