Pradhyumn killing: How CBI zeroed in on 16-year-old suspect

NEW DELHI: In a sensational twist, the CBI on Wednesday apprehended a Class 11 student in connection with the killing of a seven-year-old boy Pradhyumn in Gurgaon's Ryan's International School.

Pradhyumn, a Class 2 student of the school, was found dead with his throat slit by a sharp-edged weapon on the morning of September 8.

According to the agency, the Class 11 student, believed to be weak in his studies, allegedly killed Pradyumn to get the school to declare a holiday in order to defer a scheduled parent-teacher meeting (PTM) and an examination.

Sources in the agency said the crime was committed in just three to four minutes.

The high school student, who is about 16-year-old, was apprehended late Tuesday night for allegedly killing his junior inside the school, said CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal.

The CBI was able to piece together elements of the crime by analysing the CCTV footage, scientific and forensic examination, analysis of the crime scene and by questioning students, teachers and staff of the school, an official said.

The agency has not found any evidence of sexual assault, he said.

Based on CCTV footage and crime scene analysis, the agency examined all potential suspects and witnesses. The list included 125 teachers and students, sources said.

Based on CCTV footage and crime scene analysis, the agency examined all the suspects in the matter, sources said. Ryan Pinto, owner of the Ryan International School chain, is yet to be questioned in the case.

The mobile records of all the suspects were scrutinised and examined by the CBI special crime team.

Although the Class 11 student had planned a killing on September 8, the "child in conflict with law" had not identified his target, Dayal said.

It was a coincidence that Pradhyumn reached the toilet and became a victim of the ghastly plan hatched by the senior student, sources added.

'My son is innocent'

The father of the high school student told a television channel that his son was innocent and they had been cooperating with the police from day one.

"My son didn't do anything. He informed the gardener and teachers after finding Pradyumn's body. He stayed in the school the entire day, and appeared for the exam. There was not even a single spot of blood on my son's clothes," the father said, his face pixellated to avoid identification.

Giving details, he said Tuesday was the fourth time they were called.

"I reached there around 11am ... I left from there at 2am and CCTV footage can be seen for that," he said.

Major embarrassment for Gurugram Police

The CBI's findings are a major embarrassment for the Gurugram Police, which had blamed Ashok Kumar and alleged that he was waiting in the toilet with a knife. The police had formed 14 SIT teams.

The CBI did not find any evidence against bus conductor Ashok Kumar, who was the Gurgaon Police's sole accused in the gruesome killing.

Kumar, a resident of Ghamdoj village in Sohna, was hired by a school bus contractor around seven months before the killing.

Villagers in Ghamdoj had said Kumar had been framed and he had no previous history of being involved in any crime.