CBI claims a teenager killed 7-year-old Pradyuman, finds little evidence against the bus conductor, the earlier suspect in the case.
New Delhi: The CBI probe into the Ryan International school student murder case has brought back memories of the twists in the early stages of the investigation into the murder of Noida teenager Aarushi Talwar.
In a fresh twist to the Ryan school student murder probe, the CBI Wednesday debunked Gurugram police’s theory saying that seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur was not killed by the bus conductor, but a teenager, who wished to get the exams postponed.
The disclosure has raised a series of worrying questions that the Gurugram police’s probe has failed to clarify.
Motive for the murder
Gurugram police: On 8 September, hours after Pradyuman’s body was found inside the bathroom of Ryan International School, the Gurugram police arrested Ashok Kumar, the conductor of a school bus, who had reportedly used the washroom. The police said that Kumar tried to sexually assault the boy, but when he resisted, he slit his throat and fled. The Gurugram police also said that they had strong evidence against Kumar and were ready to file a chargesheet within seven days.
CBI: The agency said that the conductor was “nowhere in the picture” as he did not enter the washroom with a knife. During investigation, more than 125 teachers and students were examined. A few students mentioned a Class XI boy who allegedly carried a kitchen knife with him. When the CBI probed further, it was revealed that the student had promised his classmate to do something that would postpone the school exams and the parent-teacher meeting. A thorough analysis of the CCTV footage was done and the student along with his friend could be seen going towards the washroom.
“A background check of the teenager was done and was found that he had received counselling for anger management. He was weak in studies and always tried to grab attention. He was then called for questioning several times and later confessed,” a CBI source told ThePrint.
Also read: Pradyuman’s ‘new murderer’ at Ryan School: A story of crime and prejudice
Tale of two knives
On 8 September, the Gurgram police had claimed that Ashok Kumar took the knife from the tool kit of the bus and went to clean it inside the washroom as there was some dirt on it. However, when he went inside, he saw Pradyuman and tried to sexually assault him. When Pradyuman resisted, he slit his throat. Police said that Kumar took the knife with him and was later recovered from his possession.
However, a day later, the forensics team of the Gurugram police visited the school and found another knife inside a commode. This knife was also handed over to the police. However, when the case was transferred to the CBI, there was only one knife that was given to the agency as ‘recovered weapon’.
In that case, which was the knife that was recovered from Kumar if the forensics team found one inside a commode a day later? If there were two knives, then why was just one handed over to the CBI?
Was Ashok made to confess under duress?
On 10 September, the bus driver told investigators that there was no knife inside his tool kit and Ashok Kumar did not carry any knife inside the washroom. A gardener in the school also told the police that he did not see him carrying a knife and that he was out of the washroom within a few minutes.
Soon after Kumar’s arrest, his family accused Gurugram police of framing him, probably in a hurry to show the case as solved. “He always told me that he was not involved and that he was made to sign a paper under pressure. He was beaten up and forced to confess,” Kumar’s wife claimed.
Pradyuman’s parents too were not convinced with the police probe and demanded a CBI inquiry.
The CBI questioned Kumar several times but found nothing against him, sources said.
“He did not seem to know much about what had happened. He said that though he had confessed, he was not involved. During our through investigation, we did not find any clue that would point at him being the killer,” a CBI source said.
Unanswered questions
The chain of events that led to the murder is still unclear. It is still not known if the crime was pre-planned. The Gurugram police did not preserve the crime scene. Mediapersons, school teachers and parents were allowed inside the washroom where the murder had happened. Also, the knife that was flushed in the commode was recovered much later.
It is also unclear as to why the Gurugram police did not question other students and Pradyuman’s classmates, some of whom were visible in the CCTV footage, and how they jumped to the conclusion of Kumar being the killer.
The CBI has not yet given a clean chit to Kumar as the probe continues.