[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Parents of the 7-year-old say school couldn’t ensure basic safety of their son; principal suspended as protests continue

The investigation into the murder of the Class II student who was found with his throat slit in Gurgaon’s Ryan International School took a revolting turn, on Saturday, after a bus conductor employed with the school who was arrested for the crime recorded his confession.

The Gurgaon police said that the conductor, 42-year-old Ashok Kumar confessed to having tried to sexually assault the seven-year-old child in the school’s washroom on Friday morning. When the child, seven-year-old Pradyuman, resisted the attempt and tried to raise an alarm, Ashok allegedly pulled out a knife from his pocket and stabbed the boy twice on his throat. Ashok then washed the knife, threw it on the child’s body and walked away from the scene of crime as Pradyuman bled to his death.

Gurgaon’s deputy commissioner of police, Simardeep Singh said that after Pradyuman’s lifeless body was found lying in a pool of blood by another student and the school authorities decided to rush him to Gurgaon’s Artemis Hospital, it was Ashok who drove his dead victim and the school authorities to the medical facility.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Ashok was presented in the Gurgaon court on Saturday afternoon and has been remanded to three days in police custody.

Meanwhile, amid continued protests by angry parents at the school over the crime and the alleged lack of safety measures for their children, Ryan International School’s acting principal Neerja Batra was suspended on Saturday. Hundreds of agitated parents, including Pradyuman’s had stormed the school soon after the news of the murder spread on Friday. The parents had vandalized the school premises and demanded stern action against senior authorities.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The school had later issued a statement saying: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred at our school involving a class II student – Pradyuman Thakur. He had suffered critical injuries and was immediately rushed to the hospital by the school head- Mrs Neerja Batra. Despite all attempts, unfortunately his life couldn’t be saved due to the extent of his injuries. The police are investigating this matter and we have assured our full support and co-operation towards the investigation of the same. The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be dealt with appropriate action. Our hearts and prayers are with the family.”

However, Pradyuman’s parents and those of other students studying at the school weren’t satisfied with the school’s response. The victim’s father, Vinod Thakur, had met Gurgaon police commissioner on Saturday and demanded stern action against the school management.

Pradyuman’s mother, Jyoti, said: “The school could not even ensure basic safety for my son… My son did not even know the bus conductor as he never traveled in bus. We used to drop him and pick him up from school.”

In a heart-wrenching recollection of how he saw his boy’s corpse at the Artemis Hospital, Vinod told media persons: “They cut my poor boy. The doctors told me the killer stabbed him twice. There was a big scar starting from his ear to the throat. His ear had been cut, and two flaps of skin exposed the insides of his throat. I never thought I would see my son in such a condition.”

The Union human resource development ministry has announced a 3-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident while the CBSE has also written to all affiliated schools asking them to ensure that adequate security measures are employed and of informing the Board of steps taken for doing so.

The SIT is also investigating if other incidents of molestation or sexual assault may have occurred at the school in the past. “We are combing through CCTV footage of the school and will also ask students whether there have been other cases of molestation. The school has a very high fee, so we will also find out why there were no separate toilets for students and the school’s support staff and how the bus conductor was allowed to use the washroom meant for students. There will be a strict investigation and staff members will also be questioned,” said SIT member and Block education officer Ritu Chowdhury.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]