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Someone from school behind murder, only CBI can unfold mystery: Ryan victim’s father

Due to parents’ apprehensions and low attendance, Gurgaon deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh announced on Monday evening that the school will stay closed for four more days and classes will resume next Monday.

Updated on: Sep 20, 2017, 19:35:22 IST
Hindustan Times | By
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Gurgaon

The Ryan International School management has appointed a new principal and vice-principal for their Bhondsi branch on Monday. (Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)
The Ryan International School management has appointed a new principal and vice-principal for their Bhondsi branch on Monday. (Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

Voicing satisfaction over the administration deciding to extend the school’s closure for another four days, the father of the slain eight-year-old boy at the Ryan International School, Bhondsi, claimed on Tuesday that someone from the school could be behind the murder and then school should be closed till a CBI team visits the crime scene at least once.

The school was reopened on Monday, ten days after the boy was brutally murdered on September 8 morning inside a school toilet. Due to parents’ apprehensions and low attendance, Gurgaon deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh announced on Monday evening that the school will stay closed for four more days and classes will resume next Monday.

The victim’s father had earlier expressed concern over opening of the school fearing it may lead to further tampering or destruction of pieces of evidence.

“I am not against reopening of the school. I just want to urge the authorities to ensure that the school remains closed till the CBI takes over the case and visits the crime scene at least once. I am not sure who has killed my son. Maybe it’s the bus conductor who did it. But I suspect someone else is behind the conspiracy and only the CBI can get to the bottom the case,” he told Hindustan Times on Tuesday morning.

The deputy commissioner, who took charge as administrator of the school on Monday for three months, said the crime scene was cordoned off so that no evidence is destroyed or tampered with.

On September 8 evening, Gurgaon police arrested 42-year-old Ashok Kumar, conductor of the school bus, on the charge of killing the boy after an alleged failed sexual assault bid.

“The accused has been changing his statement since day one. We still have no clue who is behind the murder,” the father said.

He said he had no personal enmity with anyone and his son was not killed in a bid to exact revenge from him. “There is a bigger conspiracy. I will fight till my last breath to make sure that the real culprit is behind bars,” the father said.

He claimed evidence was tampered with at the crime scene at the behest of the school management.

DC Vinay Pratap Singh said the school would be opened after ensuring all safety measures are in place. He said the crime scene would remain cordoned off and no one would be allowed access.

  • Leena Dhankhar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Leena Dhankhar

    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.Read More