Haryana Minister, Rao Narbir Singh on Wednesday denied having dissuaded Pradyuman’s family from demanding a CBI probe into their son’s murder case in Ryan International School at Gurugram.
After Pradyuman’s father Barun Chandra Thakur claimed that the Minister had spoken strongly against a probe by the CBI into their murder case, Rao Narbir Singh maintained that he along with the Chief Minister Manohar lal had visited Pradyuman’s parents to express his condolences but did not dissuaded them from demanding a CBI probe.
Under attack from the opposition for allegedly shielding the main accused in the case, the Minister, while talking to the mediapersons here said, “I do not know the student arrested in this murder case and members of his family. It seems the opposition is deliberately politicising the issue.”
He said that the State Government recommends CBI probe only after getting initial investigation done by the state police at its own level, and the same was done in Pradyuman’s case, .
Following the demand made by Pradyuman’s family, it was recommended to get the case investigated by the CBI. It depends on the CBI which matter it decides to give priority, said Rao Narbir.
The Minister further clarified that his intention was clear and that he had no involvement in this case.
Responding to opposition’s allegation on deliberate delay in handling over the case to the CBI, he asked opposition leaders how any investigation could be assigned to CBI soon after an incident occurred. It could be done only after the Haryana Police had investigated the matter, he added.
Barun Thakur had alleged that the Minister had reached their house in Maruti Kunj on Sohna Road and told him not to demand an investigation by the CBI into the murder.
“CBI is just a big name and nothing more. The agency already has lots of workload and it will not be able to probe the case even in a year or more. Haryana Police is a better agency than CBI and it will deliver its report within a stipulated time,” Barun Thakur quoted the minister as saying.
Thakur said the minister was accompanied by a man not known to him.
The investigation into Pradyuman Thakur's murder had taken a dramatic twist on November 8 when the CBI arrested a Class 11 student, also of Ryan International School, and charged him with murdering the young boy in the school washroom in September.
After this, Narbir Singh had came in support of the Haryana Police and called the arrest of the Ryan student by the CBI “unjustified”.
Raising questions on Haryana Government’s role in shielding the accused in the murder case, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the State Government should have handed over the probe to the CBI immediately while Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the role of the Khattar government in the case stood “exposed”.
“Pradyuman Murder Case—Role of Khattar Govt exposed! As CM Khattar gave clean chits, his minister
pressurised the father to not seek CBI probe,” Surjewala tweeted.
He sought to know why was the State Government “scared of a CBI probeIJ” “Why was a Cabinet minister trying to scuttle CBI probeIJ Was it being done with the consent of CM KhattarIJ” he posted on Twitter.