National News
Ryan school murder: Accused Ashok showed CBI how he killed Pradyuman Thakur, sources say
A CBI team today brought Pradyuman Thakur's alleged murderer, 42-year-old bus conductor Ashok Kumar, to Ryan International School. Sources in the agency said Ashok recreated the entire crime scene inside the bathroom.
A seven-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has reconstructed the crime scene in the Pradyuman murder case.
The investigative team brought the alleged murderer, 42-year-old bus conductor Ashok Kumar, and a gardener, Harpal, to Ryan International School, where the murder took place.
CBI sources said Ashok recreated the entire crime scene inside the bathroom.
The central agency took over the investigation of Pradyuman’s murder on Friday, after the ML Khattar-led Haryana government asked it to. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ajay Kumar Bassi (CBI) leads the team.
Pradyuman was brutally killed on September 8. His father wants that date to be Students’ Safety Day.
HOW DID ASHOK KILL?
The CBI team travelled to Ryan International School today – their second visit in two days – to gather more evidence in the case.
Ashok was taken inside the bathroom where he allegedly killed Pradyuman. The CBI officers asked Ashok to say where and how he was standing, and where Pradyuman was when he was murdered.
The CBI also made Ashok re-enact the killing.
Top sources in CBI told India Today that this recreation of the murder scene will help the agency authenticate and verify Ashok’s claims.
The investigative agency also noted down the escape route Ashok took.
On Saturday, 12 CBI officers spent the entire day at Ryan International. CBI sources said the team, comprised of forensic experts, collected additional evidence from the crime scene that would be crucial during further investigation.
The central agency has registered a case of murder under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC, 25 of the Arms Act, 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act read with section 34 of IPC.
WHAT IS THE CBI LOOKING FOR?
Haryana Police have alleged that Ashok Kumar killed Pradyuman with a knife after the child resisted an attempt to sexually assault him. However, the post-mortem report ruled out any sexual assault attempt by the accused.
Pradyuman’s father Varun Chand Thakur is suspicious of the police’s theory, and believes there’s more to it. Varun Thakur suspects the school administration was trying to manipulate evidence and destroy clues.
CCTV FOOTAGE TO BE RE-EXAMINED
The CBI will re-examine all CCTV footage recovered from Ryan International School, to uncover more clues. One camera recorded Pradyuman and Ashok on the day of the murder.
