Pradhuman murder case: Accused's custody extended

Gurugram: A Class XI student of Ryan International School-Bhondsi, arrested by the CBI for allegedly murdering Class II student Pradhuman Thakur in the school on September 8 last year, was on Wednesday presented in the sessions court and was sent back to the protection home for 14 days` judicial custody.

It was the first time that the accused was presented before the sessions court on Wednesday after the Gurugram Juvenile Justice Board on December 20 last year ordered that the accused juvenile would be tried as an adult.

"The accused was produced before the court of duty magistrate, as the judge of the dedicated special court deputed for hearing of the case was on leave. The magistrate remanded the accused to 14 more days` judicial custody. He will be produced next on January 17," a prosecution lawyer told IANS.

The accused was sent back to the observation home in Faridabad.

The Juvenile Justice Board, after considering the psychological and social development reports of the juvenile, had on December 20 said the accused would be tried as an adult.

"Senior clinical psychologist Dr Joginder Singh Kairo, posted at PGIMS Rohtak, had prepared the juvenile`s psychological report after spending five hours with him in the observation home.

"The social development report was filed by the legal-cum-probation officer of the child protection unit, which had played a key role in the pronouncement," the lawyer said.

The Gurugram police had on September 8 arrested Ashok kumar, 44, a school bus conductor for allegedly killing the child.

But, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on September 22. The central agency, however, did not find any evidence against Kumar and took the Class XI student into custody on November 8.

Kumar was granted bail by a session court on Nov 21.

Investigators said the accused murdered the boy just to defer a unit test and a scheduled parent-teacher meeting.