A class 11 student of Ryan International School in Gurugram who wanted exams and a scheduled meeting between teachers and parents delayed is the prime accused in the murder of Class 2 student Pradhuman Thakur, the CBI said on Wednesday.
CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said the Class 11 student was detained on Tuesday night after “inspection of the crime spot, scrutiny of CCTV footage, call records, statements and questioning of several people” revealed that he had carried a knife inside the school campus on the day of the crime and used it to kill his junior school mate.
“The weapon used in the commission of crime is a knife which was recovered initially by police in Gurugram (Haryana). It is now with us,” Dayal told reporters.
A Gurugram Court later sent the accused student to three-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) remand.
The student was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, Gurugram on Wednesday, after the CBI sought six-day custody of the student.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family has demanded that the juvenile student be tried as an adult and accordingly, be given a harsh punishment.
“The age of the arrested student falls in the category of 16 to 18. Therefore, there is an option with the board to try him as an adult. We demand strict punishment for him, and we’ll ensure he is tried as an adult and is hanged till death,” Sushil Tekriwal, advocate of Pradyuman’s family, said during a press conference.
The advocate, however, did not rule out involvement of the school management in shielding the student.
“We still believe there is a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched on part of various people, including the student who has been arrested on Wednesday. CBI inquiry also indicates involvement of Pinto family, and it has not ruled out that possibility,” the advocate said, adding, “Wiping out all evidences could not have been possible without “involvement of the top notches.”
Tekriwal also said the arrested student has admitted to the crime.
“Looking from the perspective of the student, CBI’s reasoning seems like a probable cause behind that student committing the crime,” Varun Thakur, father of Pradyuman Thakur concurred, adding: “We request CBI for further investigation and frame charges against everyone involved so that a strong message is conveyed and a criminal thinks twice before committing such a crime.”
