No clean chit to Pintos from CBI, high court seeks status report by Tuesday
On Nov 6, the apex court had directed the high court to decide bail pleas within 10 days
ANTICIPATORY BAIL PLEAS BY GROUP’S CEO, RYAN PINTO, AND HIS PARENTS, AUGUSTINE PINTO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR GRACE PINTO, WERE FILED ON SEPT 19
CHANDIGARH: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has told the Punjab and Haryana high court that possibility of conspiracy of Pinto family in the murder of Pradhyumn could not be ruled out at this stage.
CBI counsel Sumeet Goel made these submissions during resumed hearing of bail pleas by trustees in connection with the murder of Pradhyumn, a student at Ryan International School, Gurgaon, on September 8.
“The probe is on. As of now main focus of investigation was elsewhere (the perpetrator of crime). We cannot rule out their involvement in the conspiracy. They should not be granted protection from court as possibility of custodial interrogation may arise at a later stage,” Goel told the high court bench of justice Surinder Gupta as the trustee’s counsel argued that after the arrest of a juvenile, the trustees have not even been summoned for questioning.
The anticipatory bail pleas by group’s CEO, Ryan Pinto, and his parents, founding chairman Augustine Pinto and managing director Grace Pinto, were filed on September 19.
The HC had stayed the arrest on September 28. On November 6, the Supreme Court had directed the high court to decide bail pleas within ten days.
The local police had arrested a bus conductor Ashok for the crime.
Now, the CBI has accused a 16-year student of murdering the child with the motive of getting examinations and a parentteacher meeting postponed.
Barun Chandra Thakur, the father of Pradhyumn too was in court. His cousel opposed the bail pleas arguing that since the CBI was not giving a clean chit, the court should not grant any protection to Pinto family against arrest.
On the other hand, appearing for trustees, senior advocate RS Rai submitted that nothing new had come out against them and as per the reply of the CBI there was no incriminating evidence against them.
“The CBI has not even summoned them to join investigation so far,” Rai told court.
Justice Gupta while adjourning the matter for Tuesday directed CBI to produce either a status report or case diary, before the court decides on the bail plea of the Pinto family.