7-yr-old’s throat slit after he resists rape
BUS CONDUCTOR ARRESTED; child murdered in washroom, minutes after he reached school
In a macabre incident in a posh school of Gurgaon, a bus conductor took a 7-yearold Class 2 student to the washroom, sexually assaulted him, and then slit his throat when the child tried to raise an alarm. An officer of Haryana Police said the conductor had confessed to the crime.
Pradyuman Thakur, a pupil of the Ryan International School, was found lying in a pool of blood by another student who went to use the washroom.
The killing happened a few minutes after Thakur’s father dropped him at the school along with his elder sister. A fairly large knife with a wooden handle was found at the crime spot. Neeraj Batra, the school’s caretaker, was clueless and could not explain what the knife was doing on the school premises. She denied any delay in taking the child to the hospital. "The child was looking serious. We didn't lose a minute. We took the child in my car," said Batra, the officiating principal.
As the news broke on WhatsApp, hundreds of anxious parents barged into the school building, flung furniture and shattered the glass cases where school trophies are displayed. They shouted slogans until they were ushered out by the security. The police had to escort teachers to their respective residences after a car ferrying them was attacked.
Continued from page 1 Some of the parents told a TV channel that bus drivers and conductors were allowed to use the washrooms meant for the students. The school authorities, however, denied the allegation.
The boy's father, Varun Thakur, who works as a quality manager, accused the school administration of negligence. Varun said the administration did not inform him about his son's death initially. "They told me his health had deteriorated suddenly. They did not take care of my son. He could have been saved if he had been taken to the hospital in time," he said. "I dropped him at around 7:30 a.m. He was happy," the grieving father said.
The parents of the deceased claimed that in their statement to the police they had clearly said that they had reasons to suspect the school management for the murder. However, they alleged that the police had omitted this part of the statement from the FIR.
In February last year, a sixyear-old student had drowned in a water tank at Ryan International School's Vasant Kunj branch.
Forensic experts collected blood samples and finger prints from the scene and examined CCTV footage from over 30 cameras installed on the premises.
The police said late in the evening that they were close to a breakthrough. A second round of questioning was underway. Three people – a conductor, a driver and a staff member – were under the scanner. Both staff members and Thakur’s classmates had been questioned.