Ryan school murder case: Told CBI a senior student could be involved, says Pradyuman’s family

Varun Thakur, father of seven-year-old Pradyuman. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Parents of Pradyuman Thakur had told the CBI that they suspected a senior student could be involved in the murder as they had heard that some seniors consumed alcohol and were seen doing so by junior students. Pradyuman’s father Barun Thakur Thursday told The Indian Express that unlike the Gurgaon Police, the CBI had involved him and his wife in every step of the investigation. “We have more faith in the CBI findings as the agency consulted us throughout. They noted down all details of the incident and looked into suspicions we had expressed. We had told them my son could have seen a senior student having alcohol or drugs, who may have eliminated my son in fear of him complaining to school authorities,” Thakur said.

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After the murder, he said he had learnt from parents of his son’s classmates that a few days ago, they had seen some seniors consuming alcohol. The older students had threatened the juniors with dire consequences if they told anyone. “Gurgaon Police hardly interacted with us beyond expressing their sympathy. Apart from taking details of the incident, they just showed us two stills of CCTV footage to identify our son. When they caught the bus conductor and we expressed our doubts, they did not pay us any heed. They kept saying ‘this is an open and shut case’,” Thakur said.

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He also questioned if the school had destroyed evidence to “save its reputation”, and criticised police for framing an innocent man. “I don’t want to question the intention of Gurgaon Police but they were certainly not professional. They were in a hurry to solve the case; that is why they ignored us,” Thakur said. He added that if the school had a better environment and security and prompt management, his son would be alive and “another boy would have been prevented from becoming a criminal”. Expressing sympathy for the juvenile, Thakur said, “He is a child whose upbringing has not been good.”

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