Schoolboy killing: Accused was sacked from another school

The 42-year-old bus conductor, Ashok Kumar, accused in the brutal murder of an 8-year-old boy of Ryan International School here, had evidently been sacked from another private school in his own village due to his predatory behaviour.

Some boys of Vivek Bharti public school in Ghamroj had complained to the management against Kumar, who worked as a driver there, and he was sacked, sources in the police told HT.

Kumar on Friday confessed to have murdered an 8-year old boy in a failed sexual assault attempt inside a toilet of Ryan school. Ghamroj is around 5 kilometers from the Bhondsi school, and a number of men from that village work at the school.

The school management on Saturday suspended acting principal Neerja Bara. A three-member committee has also been formed to look into lapses of the school management, and it will submit its report on Monday.

DCP crime Sumit Kuhar said that although there was no case registered against the accused in that incident, his background helped the police work out the present case. “The CCTV footage clearly shows his presence inside the toilet and eyewitnesses account matches the sequence of events. We have strong circumstantial evidence and account of witnesses to prove his guilt in the court,” said Kuhar.

Police has decided to include Section 13 of the Pocso Act in the FIR against the accused. It may also recommend cancelling the licence of the security agency.