Ryan Murder: Class 11 Student Confessed to Crime in Front of His Father, Says CBI

Gurgaon: The CBI on Thursday told a juvenile court that the Class 11 student apprehended for allegedly killing the seven-year-old student of Ryan International School has confessed to his crime in front of his father and an independent witness.

The confession of the student, however, has little meaning as of now as such statements need to be recorded before a court under Section 164 of the CrPC. The agency said his statement was yet to be recorded under CrPC Section 164.

Gurgaon police had also extracted the confession of the bus conductor earlier accused of the murder, but CBI has now said Ashok Thakur may have been made to speak under duress.

CBI sources said the agency is still investigating the case and that admission of crime is just the beginning of a process of collecting corroborative forensic and legally tenable evidence.

To corroborate the 16-year-old student's statement, CBI sleuths on Thursday took him to a "certain place". It was the first day of his three-day remand. The special crime team probing the case remained tight-lipped about the exercise, saying it could affect the investigation.

In its note seeking his remand, the agency said that his custodial interrogation was needed to ascertain if there were other people involved in the crime. The agency also wants the teenager to identify the shop from where he had purchased the knife used to slit throat of Pradhuman, a Class 2 student, on September 8, the agency told the court.

The CBI said the interrogation was needed to reconstruct the scene of crime, to unearth conspiracy, if any, and to collect any other evidence related to the case.

"He has admitted his involvement in committing the murder of...in ground floor boys washroom of Ryan International School...in presence of his father..., independent witness, welfare officer of the CBI, etc.," the note read.

In a sensational twist to the case, the agency had announced Wednesday that it had apprehended a senior student of Ryan International School on Tuesday night in connection with the murder of Pradhuman rejecting the Gurugram police's theory that the killing was the handiwork of school bus conductor.

The CBI has said that there was no evidence against Kumar so far.

According to the agency, the Class 11 student, believed to be weak in his studies, allegedly slit Pradhuman's throat to get the school to declare a holiday in order to defer a scheduled parent-teacher meeting (PTM) and an examination. The agency did not find any evidence of sexual assault, a CBI spokesperson said.

The CBI was able to piece together elements of the crime by analysing CCTV footage, scientific and forensic examination, analysis of the crime scene and by questioning students, teachers and staff members of the school.

Based on CCTV footage and crime scene analysis, the agency examined all potential suspects and witnesses. The list included 125 teachers and students, sources said.

(With PTI inputs)