Pradyuman Thakur murder: Was Gurgaon Police aware of real killer? CBI to step up probe

Gurugram: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to step up its probe into the murder of a Class 2 student of Ryan International School over reports of an alleged cover-up by the Gurugram Police.

The Gurugram Police has come under the CBI scanner over alleged negligence and haste in investigating the Pradyuman Thakur murder case, and the central investigating agency suspects there is more than what meets the eye.

Adding a fresh twist to the case, the Haryana Police had on Monday admitting that they have erred in probing the murder of the seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur.

Gurugram Police Commissioner Sandeep Khirwar had earlier called a meeting of the first investigating team to reprimand the officers. 

The team, which arrested bus conductor Ashok Kumar and declared him a pedophile, admitted that they made mistakes. The officers also confessed that they did not view the closed circuit television (CCTV) footage carefully. 

The initial eight seconds of the CCTV footage shows alleged accused – a Class XI student - calling Pradyuman to the washroom. 

The cops, however, remained mum on exactly how they missed this crucial evidence.

Though there is no official word from the CBI on the direction of its probe in the case, it is likely to summon four members of the SIT, which probed the murder, for further questioning.

The CBI is concerned over the reasons as to why the SIT either missed or misinterpreted evidence, which allowed the “accused” Class XI studen to walk scot-free under the garb of a key witness.

The SIT constituted by the Haryana Police to investigate the case had earlier arrested the school bus conductor Ashok Kumar along with murder weapon.

The team had also pointed to its systematic investigation, including repeated reviews and analysis of the CCTV footage, and questioning of over 150 people in school.

The SIT's claims fell flat after the CBI, based on its probe for over two months, arrested key witness - a Class XI student - as the alleged murderer.

The CBI is now believed to be probing the angle of cops 'planting evidence' in form of blood-soaked knife in Ashok’s possession and also torturing the bus driver Saurav Raghav to confess assisting in the crime.

As per norms, the case should have been officially recorded by the SHO of the concerned Police Station, but a junior officially recorded the case and interestingly he was made the arresting officer of the conductor.

Not just the police, the CBI is also believed to be probing if there was any political pressure on the police to let off the accused.

Though the CBI has not said anything as yet, it is expected that some local politicians may soon be called for questioning in the the case.

Reacting to the botched-up investigation of the Pradyuman murder case and unofficial theories and rumours doing the rounds, BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha had on Monday called for in-camera interrogation of all accused in the case.

Meanwhile, the wife of bus conductor Ashok Kumar yesterday demanded justice and proper investigation into the case, alleging that her husband was being framed. 

She accused school authorities of having conspired against Kumar.

“We knew that he was innocent and pleaded for help but nobody heard us. We suspect that school had hatched a conspiracy along with police to save its administration and make my husband a scapegoat. We want CBI to probe this angle also and even investigate the torture of my husband,” said Mamta.

While the CBI has arrested a Class XI student, it is being suspected that a co-accused was involved and the victim’s father too had claimed that he suspected involvement of some well-placed school official who was saved by making the conductor a scapegoat.

A Gurugram juvenile court had earlier sent the minor accused to a correction home in Faridabad for 11 days. The next date of hearing is on November 22.

Pradhuman Thakur, the seven-year-old boy, was found near the toilet of Ryan International School with his throat slit on September 8 morning within an hour of his father leaving him at the school.