Ryan officials’ bail rejected, next hearing September 29
GURGAON: A Gurgaon special court on Monday rejected the bail application of two Ryan International School officials arrested in connection with the murder of an eight-year-old boy in the school premises on September 8.
Ashok Kumar, the bus conductor accused of killing the boy after a failed sexual attempt, was also sent to further judicial custody.
After four hearings that continued throughout the day, the court dismissed the bail applications at 5 pm. The case will be heard on September 29.
Additional sessions and district judge Rajni Yadav upheld the contention of prosecution that the accused, Francis Thomas and Jayesh Thomas, were responsible for exposing the boy due to their negligent act, which led to the gruesome murder.
Opposing the bail plea by the defence lawyer DC Gupta, who submitted that section 75 (proviso 1) of the Juvenile Justice Act was non-cognizable and bailable, the prosecution contended that it was due to negligence of the school management that an occasion was created where the accused got an opportunity to commit murder.
Special public prosecutor Anurag Hooda cited the negligence and lapses that were mentioned in the report submitted by a three-member government committee to Gurgaon’s deputy commissioner and the guidelines of school safety that are uploaded on the website of the Gurgaon police. “CCTV cameras are not installed properly, there were no attendants at washrooms, the verification of staff was lax,” Hooda told the court. He also contended that both accused were directly and vicariously responsible for lapses and were liable for the death of the child.
After hearing the arguments of both sides, additional district and sessions judge Rajni Yadav dismissed the bail pleas and upheld the contention that the offence falls under provision 2 and 3 of the Section 75 of JJ Act which is nonbailable and cognizable.