Ryan International murder case: CBI to investigate killing of Class 2 student; police will probe negligence charges on school

The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has received notification for taking over the probe into the brutal murder of seven-year-old Pradhyumn Thakur who was murdered at the Gurugram branch of the Ryan International School. The CBI will officially take over the case on Friday by filing a FIR as its first step in probing the death of the student. However, according to CNN-News18, the CBI probe will only cover murder aspect of the case; while the Haryana Police and state government would probe the negligence on part of the school authorities in ensuring the security of the students.

#BREAKING -- CBI receives notification for transfer of #RyanInternationalSchool murder case to the agency. Case to be registered today pic.twitter.com/rqxARVw8gz

— News18 (@CNNnews18) September 22, 2017

Pradhyumn’s father Barun Thakur told the media on Friday that he had appealed to the top leader of the country to expedite the CBI inquiry into the “sensitive matter”. [caption id=“attachment_4050839” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Gurugram Police at Ryan International School investigating the murder of a seven-year-old student. PTI[/caption] According to PTI, Thakur’s lawyer alleged that the CBI inquiry had not yet started despite the Haryana government recommending it. He said, “If the formal inquiry by the CBI is not started by tomorrow (Saturday), then Barun Thakur will move the Supreme Court on Monday,” Earlier, on 16 September, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had announced that the CBI  will take over the case from the Haryana Police, while the state government will take over the management of the school for three months.  Khattar also visited Pradhyumn’s parents and ensured them of a timely and fair investigation. On 17 September, the school was opened to thin attendance , however, following Thakur’s protests that the move could destroy vital evidence, the district administration decided that the school will remain closed till 25 September. Pradhyumn was found with his throat slit in the washroom of the school on 8 September. The school bus conductor Ashok Kumar has emerged as the prime suspect and has been arrested. The Gurugram Police’s special investigation team probing the case had also detained school’s gardener, Harpal Singh, a key witness along with 17 persons including section in-charge Anju Dudeja, suspended acting principal Neerja Batra, former principal Rakhi Verma, bus driver Saurabh Raghav, bus contractor Harkesh Pradhan and eight security guards. With inputs from agencies