Gurugram school murder: Court grants bus conductor bail, says there’s no evidence against him
Gurugram Police had first arrested Ashok Kumar, but the CBI detained a 16-year-old student for the murder in November.
The Gurugram District Court on Tuesday accepted the bail plea of Ashok Kumar, the bus conductor arrested in connection with the murder of a Class 2 student of Ryan International School in September.
#PradyumanMurderCase: Gurugram District Court judge observed that CBI did not submit any evidence against conductor Ashok. Court exonerated Ashok saying it's a matter of life and death so allow the bail with a bond of Rs 50,000.
— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2017
On September 8, the student was found with his throat slit inside a washroom of the Gurugram school. An autopsy revealed injuries on the boy’s neck, inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon, were the cause of death. The Gurugram Police initially arrested Kumar, but the Central Bureau of Investigation detained a 16-year-old Class 11 student of the same school for the crime on November 8.
On Monday, the Central Bureau of Investigation told the Gurugram District Court it does not have any evidence against the bus conductor and that DNA reports confirmed Kumar was not involved in the crime. But the CBI said it was not yet giving Kumar a clean chit as it is waiting for chemical reports and other inputs.
On Tuesday, the investigating agency also summoned Kumar’s uncle, OP Chopra, for allegedly trying to frame Kumar, according to Times Now. Chopra is heard talking to the Class 11 student’s family in an audio clip, the report claimed. He reportedly struck a deal with the family to frame Kumar. Chopra, however, told the TV channel he spoke to the family but did not know they were related to the case.
Pintos’ bail plea
Meanwhile, the CBI submitted a sealed status report to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which is hearing the bail petition of Ryan International Group Chief Executive Officer Ryan Pinto and his parents – founding chairman Augustine Pinto and Managing Director Grace Pinto – in connection with the murder. The court will hear the case again at 4 pm on Tuesday.
#PradyumanMurderCase: CBI submitted its sealed status report before Punjab & Haryana High Court in connection with bail plea of Ryan International School's owners, case adjourned till 4 pm today.
— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2017
On November 6, the Supreme Court had granted them interim bail and directed the Punjab and Haryana High Court to decide the matter within 10 days.
In their bail petitions, the Pintos said it was unimaginable that they could be involved in the crime. “We apprehend that the agencies may, under pressure from the wrath of public opinion, fail to fully appreciate the legal position,” they had said. “Notwithstanding the diabolical nature of the crime...the ends of justice call for an objective evaluation of the circumstances.”
