Not Just Another Friday

It was meant to be just another Friday for the Thakur family. However tragedy struck almost as soon as the day began. Within just minutes upon reaching school, 7 year old Pradyuman a Class 2 student at Gurgaon’s Ryan International School, was found brutally murdered inside the school toilet. His young body bore a 18cm x 2 cm deep wound extending from ear to  throat, which caused profuse bleeding hence his body was found in a pool of blood, a gruesome sight none should be subjected to. CCTV coverage confirms he was unable to scream for help, due to injury to his windpipe, despite which the young boy attempted to crawl out of the toilet in search of help. The school being under pressure as a result of their negligence almost immediately arrested and accused a school bus conductor Ashok Kumar, owing mostly to his appearances on the CCTV camera footage, around the time of the murder. Many perceive this as a being a premature act, not allowing ample time for a meticulous investigation, considering the nature of the crime. Reports allege that Kumar attempted to sexually assault the victim who had resisted, being the alleged motive for murder. It has been alleged that Kumar has confessed to the crime.

The Plot Thickens

Nothing is as seems, each day unravelling more and more mysteries. Post mortem reports confirm the victim was in fact not sexually assaulted  and that due to the horrendous injuries sustained by the child, death within 2 to 3 minutes was inevitable. The new evidence leaves the nation pondering as to who and why would one want to harm such an innocent soul, to put an end to his life before it even began.

Protests!

Gone but not forgotten. In this time of grievance, the nation stands with the victim’s family. Just like the abrupt eruption of a volcano, Saturday saw an eruption of angry protesters who broke the lock of the school’s main gate to testify against an avertible tragedy. Parents of students of Ryan International School were amongst the angry mob who rightfully demanded the arrest of the ‘real culprit’. In response to all that has happened Pradyuman’s parents have refused to accept the body of their son still being kept at the morgue until justice is served in the case, which they claim has been favouring the management of the school, irrespective of the oblivious negligence.

CBSE Question Their Affiliation

Just when a glimpse of justice is within view, corruption makes a grand appearance. The hierarchy of corruption extends upwards into the clouds. acting as an escape route for those who should be  immediately reprimanded for the crime but are instead buying time. The  trustees of the Ryan International Group, made headlines playing the victim card when they applied for bail, and were rightfully rejected the bail. However pacification came in the form of interim protection until they are able to approach an appropriate judicial authority in Haryana. Also they have also been asked to submit their passports to the Mumbai Police Commissioner as a precaution. Repercussions  of the tragedy included, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) asking the school why it’s affiliation should not be cancelled, in which the school had been given 14 days to respond. The notice probes the school as to why CBSE guidelines regarding security were violated. When the school  grounds were inspected by a two-member committee, findings were lapses in the security arrangements in the school, bus drivers and conductors were using toilets meant for students, a breach in the school’s boundary wall, and a dearth of CCTV cameras and even installed ones were sometimes non functional.

Conclusion

Murder of a 7 year old boy within the premises of Ryan International School has shed light on serious security lapses taking place in the schools of the country today. Repeated cases of child harassment, abuse and sexual abuse had long been disdained and treated as everything but a priority, yet the ruthless murder of a 7-year-old innocent child has made the fear palpable. Everyone including the state government, the central government, parents and the general public are asking the same question, how safe are our children in schools today? Every parent goes to all extremes just to ensure the safety of their child, be it from the harsh and unpredictable environment, or even reckless accidents, parents have made it their job to ensure his/her child’s safety. However, there are limitations of course and as parents we we expect the advent of more modernized schools , with higher fees to ensure ‘holistic development’ and that safety would be the least of our concerns. Safety, sadly, remains a blind spot.