Gurugram student murder: 10 facts, fresh revelations by driver against police

The principal and a few teachers from the Ryan International School in Gurugram have been arrested in connection with the murder of a seven-year-old boy, whose dead body was found in a toilet in the school on Friday.  The victim's father expressed doubts about the way the investigation is being carried out and demanded a CBI probe. 

Meanwhile, Saurabh Raghav, the school bus driver, came out alleging that the investigators were forcing him to give false statement. Police officers persuaded him to give a statement that the kinfe used by the suspect - the conductor of the bus- was a part of vehicle's tool kit, the driver told Mail Today.

Irate parents had accused the school authorities of negligence and raised complaints about the lack of security in the school.

Eleven people have been arrested for allegedly setting afire a liquor shop near the school on Sunday during a protest march to the school.

The seven-year-old boy was found murdered in the school toilet on Friday, September 8. The police have arrested Ashok Kumar,  the conductor of the school bus, who had reportedly tried to sexually assault the boy before slitting his throat with a knife.

The school management informed that the school will stay shut for another two days "to express solidarity with the parents and family of the child."

They further notified that while the junior and nursery school sections will remain closed until further notice, the classes from 6 to 12th standard will reopen on Wednesday for exams.

A report by the special investigation team pointed out several serious security lapses at the school. Many of the CCTV cameras in campus were not working, the report said.

Here are 10 points about this case:

• Saurabh Raghav, the school bus driver, on Sunday spilled the beans about the weapon used in the crime. He alleged that he was being forced by police officers to give a statement that the weapon used in the crime, the knife, was a part of bus tool kit, according to a Mail Today report. Asok Kumar, the prime suspect, was the conductor of the school bus. 
• The school management said that it was cooperating to its fullest with the police investigations.
• While giving a statement, Ryan Pinto, CEO of Ryan International Schools Group, said that the school should not be held "culpable of a crime where it is itself a victim of unfortunate circumstances."
• The Special Investigation Team (SIT) said that many CCTV cameras in the school were not functional and there was no separate toilet facility for the drivers and conductors. Another worrying detail was that the school hired staff without conducting proper background checks and police investigation.

• Following the incident, hundreds of people, including parents and locals, gathered at the school premises for a sit-in, demanding action against the school. Some miscreants among them had set afire a liquor shop. Reports say that the liquor bottles were thrown inside the school from outside the boundary walls.

• Soon after the liquor shop was set on fire, three bus-load of policemen arrived there to control the mob. The police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the mob and detained 20 people.

• During the lathi-charge, some reporters from ANI were injured and their vehicles damaged. Meanwhile, the father of the deceased boy appealed to the public not to resort to violence.

• Haryana's education minister, Ram Bilas Sharma said that if the parents were dissatisfied with the way the probe so far, then "the state government is ready to call in any agency."

• The police promised to complete the investigation within a week and assured that the investigation would push the case for trial in the fast track court.

• The education minister also said that a case has been filed against the school owner and management under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. The acting principal, Neerja Batra has been suspended.