NCPCR says school negligence in Gurugram murder

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Friday said it found negligence on part of the school authorities in the murder case of the seven-year-old boy here.

An official of NCPCR, along with one of their technical experts, visited the Ryan International School in Bhondsi area where Pradhuman, a Class 2 student, was earlier in the day found dead in the washroom by school staff with his throat slit.

"Prima facie, it is the negligence of school. It is mandatory to have police verification of the staff in the school premises," NCPCR official Priyank Kanoongo told IANS.

"We haven't found with them the verification record of their contractual or regular staff."

A knife, presumably the murder weapon, was found near the body.

Pradhuman's sister is a student of Class 5 in the same school, located on Sohna Road, some 13 km from Gurugram.

The boy's family resides in Maruti Kunj Society in the same area. Pradhuman's father is employed in a factory located in the Kherki Daula police station area.

"The boy reached the school hardly an hour before he was found dead. We are questioning the school staff while teachers are speaking to other students to find any clues," a senior police officer said.

He said that though the exact cause of the murder was not clear yet, police were investigating the sexual assault angle.

A case of murder was registered against unidentified person at the Bhondsi police station. Kanoongo said the police will soon come out with a conclusion.

He added that the school staff alleged that they found Pradhuman alive with brutal injuries. "They said that he died on the way to hospital," he said.

Stressing that it was a brutal murder, Kanoongo said: "We are now going to visit the hospital to speak to the doctor who has conducted his post-mortem. After that only we can say something."

The NCPCR will issue notice to the district administration regarding the negligence of school management.

"We have already directed DCP and SHO to lodge an FIR against the school for their negligence," he said.

--IANS

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