High Court grants conditional bail to Pinto family in Ryan murder case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday granted bail to the Pinto family, owners and trustees of Ryan International School, in the matter related to the murder of seven-year-old Pradhuman Thakur at the Gurugram branch of the school.

Justice Surender Gupta directed the Pinto family to join investigations in the case. The court barred them from leaving the country without permission.

The Pinto family -- Augustine F. Pinto, his wife Grace and their son Ryan - had moved the High Court for anticipatory bail in the murder case that took place on September 8.

The High Court had, on October 7, given relief to the Pinto family from arrest in the matter. The court had stayed their arrest till December 5, directing the Pinto family to cooperate in the CBI investigations.

The court also allowed the regular bail of two Ryan International School officials, North India head Francis Thomas and HR head Jeyus Thomas.

The Haryana Police was investigating the case and had arrested bus conductor Ashok as the main accused in the murder of Pradhuman.

Later the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has arrested a class 11th student of the same school as prime accused.

Pradhuman, a class two student of the school, was murdered in the school toilet with his throat slit.