Ryan International School's CEO moves HC for pre-arrest bail

Ryan International Group's CEO Ryan Pinto and his parents, who are its founders, today approached the Bombay High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the murder of a seven-year-old boy on the institution's campus in Gurgaon.

The bail pleas were filed following the arrest of two top officials of the Ryan International School in Gurgaon.

Ryan International Group's founding chairman, Augustine Pinto (73), and his wife Grace Pinto (62), who is the managing director of the institution, have along with their son Ryan Pinto sought anticipatory bail in the Bombay High Court, their counsel Niteen Pradhan told PTI.

Pradhan mentioned the applications this morning before Justice Ajey Gadkari, who posted them for hearing tomorrow.

The Pintos, in their pleas, said while the death of the boy was unfortunate, the management cannot be held culpable and that they themselves were victims of the unfortunate circumstances.

"The death has caused deep pain and grief not only to the parents and family of the child but also to the trustees, management, staff and students of the school," the applications said.

"This is not only the darkest hour for the family but also for the institution. Such an incident has taken place for the first time in the past four decades since the institution was set up," the three said in their bail pleas.

Despite taking all necessary steps for security and well being of the students as required by law and prudence, if such an unfortunate incident occurs, the institution cannot be held culpable as it is itself a victim of unfortunate circumstances," they said.

Two top officials of the Ryan International School were arrested while the acting principal detained for questioning in connection with the gruesome murder of the boy in the school premises, police said today.

Pradhuman Thakur, a class 2 student, was found with his throat slit in a school washroom on Friday last.

A bus conductor has also been arrested for the killing which has triggered a huge public outrage.

According to the pleas, the Pintos read newspaper reports saying the public outcry was for also booking the management for the killing of the child.

"Hence, we apprehend action against us in the matter. We seek the court to grant us transit protection from arrest so that we can approach the appropriate judicial authority in Haryana," the pleas said.

They said they are residents of Mumbai and the overall management of the institution is being carried out from the Mumbai office. The day-to-day management of each school is taken care by the local staff appointed by the management, they said.

The applications also mentioned that the trustees and the management were cooperating with the police to the best of their ability.

While no outside person is allowed to enter the school premises, the bus drivers and the conductors, who have been given identity cards, are allowed to use basic amenities like toilets inside the school premises on "humanitarian grounds", they said in the petitions.

Because of the CCTV placed in the corridor covering the entrance of the Gurgaon school washroom where the incident occurred the culprit could be identified immediately and arrested, the pleas added.