Defiant Ryan denies security lapses, says CBSE showcause uncalled for

GURUGRAM: Authorities of Ryan International School, Bhondsi, where seven-year-old student Pradhyumn Thakur was murdered inside a toilet on September 8, have struck a defiant note, denying all charges of security lapses on the campus and rejecting a show-cause notice from the CBSE as "uncalled for".

In its response to the notice issued by the board in the wake of the Class 2 student's murder, the school also rejected the allegation of delay in reporting the matter to the police.

On September 16, the board had shot off a show-cause notice to the school, highlighting several loopholes in security on the campus, and asked why the school should not be de-affiliated. The lapses, like grilles and panes missing from windows ofthe ground floor washroom where the boy was murdered, were found by the police and a probe team set up by the Gurgaon administration.

In their 10-page response (a copy of which is with TOI) submitted last week, the school authorities claimed that "the show-cause is uncalled for" and that the institute had always complied with the safety measures laid down by CBSE. Further, it sought documents supporting the contentions raised by the board.

On the alleged delay in the school's response in the immediate aftermath of the murder, the school said that Pradhyumn was rushed to a nearby hospital and his family was informed as soon as the teachers came to know about the incident. Informing the police or registering an FIR was not as critical as providing medical care to the child, it argued.

On allegations of lack of security on the campus, the school maintained that "the CBSE has failed to point out a single lacuna in security". On keeping attendants for taking care of children, especially in the junior section, it said there was "no provision for aaya or attendant under any law or bylaw".

Police investigations revealed there was no CCTV camera covering the entrance of the washroom where the boy was killed allegedly by a bus conductor, Ashok Kumar.

The school argued that "the death was due to the mental imbalance of a person and that the school cannot be made liable for the same". Also, "the grilles have no connection with the murder and thus, the affiliation cannot be questioned on the basis of this," it added.

On the question of lack of proper verification of support staff, including bus drivers and conductors, it denied responsibility and said that the bus staff were hired through a third party vendor. The school also said there were 16 CCTV cameras, including one near the reception area which got damaged when mediapersons barged into the school on the fateful day. The reply also alleged media reports had not reflected the true and correct position of the school.

Deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh, who is currently in charge of the Ryan's Bhondsi campus, said that the school had submitted its reply to the CBSE's showcause, without elaborating on the content.