Ryan officials’ custody necessary to ascertain larger conspiracy, says CBI

Pradyuman, a Class II student, was killed inside a bathroom at the school.

Opposing the bail pleas of officials associated with the Ryan Group of Institutes, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Friday said the ongoing probe into the murder case of a seven-year-old student at the group’s Bhondsi branch is at a crucial stage and their custody is necessary to ascertain the “larger conspiracy” behind the murder.

During the resumed hearing of the regular bail pleas of Ryan International Group’s northern zone head Francis Thomas and another official, Jayesh Thomas, the counsel representing the investigating agency told the High Court that the accused cannot wash their hands off the criminal negligence in the murder and prayed for dismissal of the regular bail pleas.

The counsel representing Thomas told the High Court that Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act cannot be invoked against him as the murder took place at the Bhondsi school while he is the head of the group’s northern zone, with his office located in Delhi. The counsel representing Jayesh told the High Court that he is an “assistant accountant” at the school and originally an employee of a private company.

The CBI also questioned the maintainability of the pleas, saying that the accused need to file their cases on the basis of the CBI FIR, and not the earlier one which was registered by the Haryana Police.  The CBI counsel told the High Court that the accused need to first seek bail from the Special CBI Court at Panchkula since it is a CBI case now.

While reserving its order, the High Court adjourned the case for Saturday on the completion of arguments from all sides.  Meanwhile, the anticipatory bail pleas of Ryan International Group’s founding chairman Augustine Pinto, managing director Grace Pinto and their son Ryan Pinto are listed for hearing on Saturday.

Class II student Pradyuman Thakur was found with his throat slit inside a washroom of Ryan International School’s Bhondsi branch on September 8. Police had arrested a bus conductor, Ashok Kumar, in connection with the murder.
Police had registered an FIR under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 25 of the Arms Act.
Later, Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act and Section 12 of the POCSO Act were added to it.