Ryan case: Class XI student arrested for Pradyuman Thakur's murder
Two months after seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur was found murdered in his Gurgaon school, a Class XI student has been arrested by the CBI in the case. This comes as a twist since police till now seemed to be certain a bus conductor of Ryan International was the murderer. He had also reportedly "confessed". But Ashok Kumar had maintained he had been framed. Read more.
The case that shook the country
On September 8, Pradyuman was found dead with his throat slashed in a toilet at Ryan International School, Gurugram. According to the post mortem report, the cause of death was "shock and haemorrhage" An external injury was caused due to a sharp single-edged weapon which led to his death. Semen was found on his uniform, leading cops to believe he was molested.
Immediately after, several staff members, even the CEO, were accused
Ashok Kumar, a bus conductor, was arrested and a driver and staff member detained. Kumar had reportedly confessed he was masturbating in the washroom when Pradyuman walked in. Police also said school authorities tried to cover up the murder. Action was taken against many officials- the acting principal, the regional head and HR head. CEO Ryan Pinto and his founder parents were also named.
Incident triggered a debate on safety of children in schools
An SIT then highlighted several irregularities in Gurugram's Ryan International School: inadequate installation of CCTVs, no separate toilets for non-teaching staff, unsafe toilets, broken boundary walls, expired fire extinguishers, and no police verification of employees. The incident triggered a debate on safety of children in schools across the country. Angry parents launched protests and demanded more accountability.
Was there a larger conspiracy at play?
Meanwhile, Kumar's family later alleged he's being made a scapegoat and that he's innocent. Pradyuman's relatives too suspected an ongoing conspiracy. According to relatives, other people were also involved in the murder. The case was eventually transferred to the CBI.
