A minor accused with 'behaviour' issues, an innocent conductor, a murdered child – Top 10 developments in Ryan murder case

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NEW DELHI: In a sensational twist on Wednesday, the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI arrested a 16-year-old student of Ryan International School Gurugram in connection with the murder of Pradyuman Thakur. Earlier today, the accused minor was taken to CBI headquarters for questioning.

On September 8, seven-year-old Thakur was found crawling out of the school washroom, his throat slit. He succumbed to death minutes later. 

Here's a quick recap of the top developments since yesterday in the Ryan murder case:

1. Based on circumstantial evidence, the CBI detained the senior Ryan student for the murder of Thakur. The student reportedly confessed to his crime during the questioning on Tuesday, sources told Zee Media. "They (CBI) arrested my son last night. My son has not committed the crime. He informed gardener and teachers,” the accused student's father said. 

2. The arrested student displayed showed "rude behaviour", bullying other kids, alleged his classmates. "He is heavier than normal boys of his age and always ready to slap others over trivial issues," a classmate alleged but did not want to be named.

3. Neighbours also complained about his conduct. "The father of the teenager is a lawyer of Gurgaon and one of the wealthy individuals of the area owning properties. The residents of the colony were aware of his nature and they hardly spoke to him," a neighbour told news agency PTI requesting anonymity.

4. Thakur's family and lawyers have demanded that the accused Class XI boy be tried as an adult by CBI and be given strict punishment. They further expressed suspicion about the involvement of school authorities and Pintos in "destruction of evidence". 

5. According to the CBI, the accused minor allegedly wanted to postpone the exams and parent-teacher meeting. Ruling out the angle of sexual assault, the CBI further said that the 16-year-old student used a knife as the murder weapon and later flushed it in the washroom. 

6. On the day of the crime, the accused minor reportedly told two classmates not to worry about upcoming exams, as he'll do something to 'handle' it, said CBI. Thakur was his random target.

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

8. Earlier, the Haryana police arrested bus conductor Ashok Kumar for the murder of the student. However, the CBI did not find any evidence against him and gave him a clean chit. Many, including Thakur's parents and Kumar's family, claimed he was being made a scapegoat.

9. This came as a major embarrassment to the Haryana Police, which has constantly denied any pressure on the probe team. “There was no pressure at all. We did an honest attempt to bring justice to the family,” Gurugram Police Commissioner said on Thursday.

10. Defending the investigators, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the probe yet to complete their probe. "Haryana police had not completed its investigation. When investigations were on, a demand was raised that the matter be handed over to the CBI. It was handed over to them. CBI is now conducting investigations. It is their job, not ours. Where CBI investigation leads to, ultimately what results are there...," he said.