Gurugram: Tight security arrangements outside the Ryan International School in the view of protests in Gurugram on Sunday, two days after a 7-year-old class II student of the school was brutally murdered. PTI Photo
The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and the Haryana government after the father of a seven-year-old, who was killed in a gruesome manner inside Gurgaon’s Ryan International School, filed a petition seeking a CBI probe into the case. The apex court also sought a response from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in this regard. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, observed that “this petition is not restricted only to the school concerned as it has a country-wide ramification” and asked the governments and the CBSE to respond within three weeks. The plea, filed by Varun Chandra Thakur, sought framing of guidelines to fix responsibility of school managements in case of such incidents and also regarding the safety and security of children.
A class 2 pupil was found dead with his throat slit in a washroom of the Gurgaon school on Friday, triggering a massive public outrage. The accused, school bus condu ctor Ashok Kumar, allegedly killed the boy while trying to sexually abuse him and was arrested the same day.
Here are the top developments in the aftermath of the gruesome murder of Ryan International School student
*Describing the murder of the seven-year-old as ‘heinous crime’, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Centre will definitely give reply to the top court and that it will arrive at a better solution by talking to everybody.
*Ryan International School’s CEO Ryan Pinto and his parents, who are its founder, have approached the Bombay High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the murder of the seven-year-old student. The bail pleas were filed following the arrest of two top officials of the school. “The school’s founding chairman, Augustine Pinto, and his wife Grace Pinto, who is the managing director of the institution, have along with their son Ryan Pinto sought anticipatory bail in the Bombay High Court,” their counsel Niteen Pradhan said.
*Earlier, two top officials of the school were arrested while the acting principal detained for questioning. While 14 police teams constituted to investigate the case are questioning the school staff, an SIT team is headed to Mumbai to interrogate school CEO Ryan Pinto and director Albert Pinto. “School’s Legal Head, Franchis Thomas and HR Head, Jeyus Thomas were arrested on Sunday night following interrogation,” Gurgaon Police Chief Sandeep Khairwar said.
*Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar spoke to the victim’s father and assured him of a CBI investigation. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar too had a telephonic conversation with the mother and uncle of Pradyuman and said he had spoken to his Haryana counterpart requesting him to meet the grieving family. Kumar also said Khattar had assured him of impartial and fast probe.
*The Sadar Police Station SHO on Sohna Road has been suspended for negligence in connection with the baton-charge on protesting parents and journalists outside the school. “For applying baton charge on angry mob and journalists outside the school on Sunday morning, Gurgaon Police Commissioner, Sandeep Khairwar suspended SHO-Sadar Sohna, Arun for negligence,” ACP and Chief PRO of Gurgaon Police Manish Sehgal said.
*Around 50 protesters and nine journalists were injured when the Gurgaon Police used batons to suppress the protest. Haryana CM Khattar had termed the attack on media as “unfortunate” and ordered action against erring policemen. “I have always supported the freedom of speech of media. It (the baton charging) is unfortunate and it shouldn’t have happened. I am ordering action against policemen responsible for it and they will be punished,” he said, adding that the government will bear the medical expenses of journalists who were injured in the police action. READ MORE
*A three-member sub-committee, formed by the district administration to probe the incident, has found “blatant lapses” on the school’s part. Gurgaon Commissioner of Police, Sandeep Khirwar, told The Indian Express, “During investigation, instances of gross negligence were noticed. For instance, the toilet where the crime took place was being shared by students of the primary school as well as support staff. Such lapses have contributed to the crime. Hence, provisions of the JJ Act have been invoked… Section 75 of the Act criminalises certain negligent actions.” READ MORE
*The murdered boy’s father demanded a parallel CBI inquiry into the case and alleged that the murder was “planned”. “It all seems too coincidental, that the conductor was alone with my son, happened to have a knife and committed the crime so quickly — in a span of 10 minutes,” he alleged. However, police said no such indications have emerged so far during the probe.
With inputs from PTI, ANI
