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His name was Pradyumn Thakur.
He was 7 years old. Class 2 at Ryan International School in Gurugram, Haryana.
His father dropped him at the school gate at 7:55 am on September 8, 2017. At 8:08 am, he was found outside a washroom with his throat slit. He was rushed to hospital and declared dead on arrival.
The school did not call the police. His parents did.
Haryana Police arrived three and a half hours later.
They noticed blood stains on bus conductor Ashok Kumar. The same clothes he wore while carrying a bleeding 7 year old child to a car.
On September 10, the Police Commissioner held a press conference. He declared Ashok Kumar was the killer. He said Ashok had tried to sexually assault Pradyumn and murdered him.
The Chief Minister of Haryana congratulated the police for solving the case.
The Bar Association of Gurugram passed a resolution refusing to let any lawyer defend Ashok Kumar. The Supreme Court later disciplined them for this.
Pradyumn’s mother said from day one she believed Ashok was being framed.
CBI took over the case.
They found no forensic evidence against Ashok Kumar. No evidence of sexual assault. The gardener who was first at the scene said he saw no blood on Ashok before Ashok helped carry the child. The claimed semen sample did not exist. [Source: CBI chargesheet 2018]
In November 2017, CBI arrested the real accused. A 16 year old student at the same school. CBI said he confessed to killing Pradyumn to get his exams cancelled.
He chose his victim randomly.
Ashok Kumar was acquitted of all charges on February 28, 2018. [Source: Child Special Court Gurugram judgment February 28, 2018]
In January 2021, CBI charged four Gurugram Police officers with framing Ashok Kumar. Falsifying documents. Torture. Criminal conspiracy. [Source: CBI chargesheet January 2021]
Those four officers have not been convicted.
The Police Commissioner who declared Ashok guilty on television faced no consequences. The Chief Minister who congratulated police faced no consequences.
Pradyumn’s family is still waiting for justice for their son.
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