Pradyuman was found with his throat slit after he visited the washroom in his Ryan International School
Highlights
- ML Khattar said he had recommended a CBI investigation into the murder
- 'Sensitivity this case deserved has been shown': Pradyuman's father
- Top officials of school have been arrested after major lapses were found
The Ryan International School in Gurgaon, where seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur was murdered last Friday, will be taken over for three months by the Haryana government, Chief Minister ML Khattar said today.
Mr Khattar, who met the grieving family of the child, also said he had asked for a CBI investigation into the murder that has horrified the nation. It is seen by many as acknowledgement that the Haryana police has not been on top of the investigation.
Pradyuman, a class 2 student, was found with his throat slit after he visited the washroom near his classroom just moments after being dropped off by his father.
A schoolbus conductor, Ashok Kumar, was arrested after he allegedly confessed to killing the boy after trying to sexually assault him. He was already present in the bathroom when the boy went in, security footage that caught the child's last moments alive has revealed.
Pradyuman is seen crawling out of the bathroom and collapsing next to a wall. It is not known why he was taken to hospital almost half an hour after he was attacked - as the CCTV footage shows - and where the accused got the knife.
The boy's parents have alleged a cover-up by the school management.
"We didn't believe what was being told, so we went to the Supreme Court and all thanks to them that now they have assured a CBI probe. Perhaps now my son will get justice," said his mother.
Top officials of the school have been arrested after major lapses were found in the school; the staff was not verified and outsiders like the bus workers were allowed to use the same toilet as students.
The founders of the school, who are based in Mumbai, have sought protection from arrest.
The student's murder has propelled schools across the country to review their security and tighten measures.
The Supreme Court today issued notice to the centre and states and asked them for a response within three weeks to a petition by women lawyers who say schools should be responsible for the safety of children the moment they get into the school bus.