A seven-year-old boy studying in Class II at Ryan International School in Gurugram’s Bhondsi area was found murdered with his throat slit inside the school’s toilet on Friday morning. School bus conductor Ashok Kumar has been arrested for murdering Pradyuman Thakur after the child spurned his alleged move to sexually assault him. Ashok has confessed to his crime.
Police said Pradyuman, was murdered soon after his father Varun Thakur dropped him and his sister, a Class V student, at Ryan International School’s gate. Blaming the school management for the death of his son, Varun said a schoolteacher had called his wife to inform about their son’s critical condition. “When I reached the hospital, my son was declared brought dead,” said the wailing father.
Police said some students found Pradyuman lying in a pool of blood in the bathroom located close to the main lobby of the school around 8.10 am. Pradyuman’s throat had been slit and a kitchen knife with a wooden handle was found next to his blood-soaked body. Horrified students alerted the teachers and the school management informed police.
As news of the murder began spreading, hundreds of irate parents barged into the school and broke furniture and glass cases. They shouted slogans until police reached the spot. later on, parents protested outside the police station asking for stringent punishment for the guilty.
“The boy was rushed to Artemis Hospital, where he was declared brought dead,” Manish Sehgal, the spokesman of Gurugram Police, said. Police detained ten people, including a gardener, bus drivers and conductors, for questioning.
Sumit Kuhar, DCP Crime, Gurugram, said, “All ten were put to sustained questioning and later school bus conductor Ashok was arrested for the murder of the child.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Simardeep Singh said, “Bus conductor Ashok, a resident of Ghamdoj village, was working with the school for the last four months. On Friday morning, he went inside the washroom to clean the knife which he had found in the bus. When Pradyuman reached the washroom he dragged him inside the toilet and tried to sexually assault him. When the child raised an alarm he killed the boy. later, when police arrested Kumar, the two boys identified the accused.”
“We are investigating how the knife was allowed to be brought into the school. We are also investigating if any other person was involved in the crime. Also, three people have been detained for further questioning,” the DCP said.
“Pradyuman’s throat was slashed and there were injury marks on his body as well. There were blood spots even outside the bathroom where the crime was committed,” said a police officer.
“The deceased received two cut marks on the right side of his neck. One was an initial cut but the second was deep. It almost severed the entire neck. Excessive blood loss caused the death,” said Deepak Mathur, who conducted the post-mortem on the child.
Recalling the tragedy, Varun Thakur said, “On Friday morning I dropped my son and daughter off at the school gate. Around 8.10 am my wife received a call from schoolteacher Anju Dudeja informing her about a serious injury to our son. We were asked to come to Artemis Hospital.”
“When I reached the hospital my son was declared brought dead by the doctors. His throat had been slit and he had suffered a deep gash on his body,” Thakur said.
“The school management is responsible for this heinous crime. If they cannot provide security to the students why do they run the schoolIJ I lost my son because of the school’s irresponsibility. I urge the police to take strict action against the culprits,” a visibly angry and inconsolable Thakur said.
Pradyuman’s last rites will be done on Saturday after his grandparents arrive from Bihar’s Madhubani district.
“My parents had not met my son since his birth. They just want to see their grandson before his last rites were conducted,” Thakur said.
Pradyuman’s parents have been living in Maruti Kunj Society in Gurugram for the last seven years. Pradyuman’s father is a senior executive at an export house in Kherki Daula.
Parents of other students were livid with the school management. They said an 11-year-old boy was found dead in the school swimming pool and another student’s leg was crushed by a school bus.
“The school management successfully hushed up the matter with the police but this time we will protest against the school authority and the guilty should get harsh punishment,” a parent said.
The parents also claimed that the there were no separate toilets for the bus drivers, conductors, gardeners and sweepers in the school. They all used the same washrooms which are used by the students.
“We want strict action against the guilty,” said Deepak Kumar, a member of Purvanchal Jan Kalyan Sangh.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Simardeep Singh, said, “We have retrieved footage from a CCTV camera. However, the CCTV camera positioned outside the toilet was not functional. The school administration said there are 16 cameras at various places on the campus and the school is cooperating with the police.”
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and their technical expert, visited the school and found negligence on part of the school authorities. The NCPCR will issue a notice to the district administration regarding negligence by the school management. The NCPCR also directed the DCP and SHO to lodge a FIR against the school for their negligence.