Accused’s kin, friends claim he is innocent

Say he has been made a scapegoat

Gurugram: Bus conductor Ashok Kumar being escorted by police.The court has sent the accused to a three-day police remand, in Gurugram on Saturday. PTI Photo (PTI9_9_2017_000085B)

Sitting on a charpoy in his humble two-room house on the outskirts of Ghamroj village off Sohna Road, Amichand cannot believe that his son Ashok Kumar, the accused in the Ryan International murder case, would commit such a heinous crime. The 70-year-old has been pleading with everyone to arrange a meeting with his son to “find out the truth”.

“I have been trying since yesterday [Friday] evening to meet him [Ashok] once and find out the facts. He has been implicated. The school management has made him a scapegoat. I know him. He cannot do this,” pleads Amichand with folded hands.

Sole breadwinner

Ashok (42), who had joined as a bus conductor in Ryan International School eight months ago, was the sole breadwinner of the family of 10, including four sisters and aged parents. His wife Mamta, who worked as a maid in a private school in the village, was dismissed after his arrest. The family now stares at an uncertain future with no source of income.

“His son has kidney stone, but he did not have money for his treatment. His mother has difficulty breathing. He himself was also not keeping well,” said Sunita, one of Ashok's sisters. She argued that he was tortured to confess the crime. “I saw him on television. He could barely walk. He has been beaten up badly. The police, in connivance with the school management, have implicated him in their hurry to work out the case,” said Sunita.

Better salary

Pradeep Sharma, who claimed to be Ashok’s childhood friend, said that anyone in the village would vouch for his innocence. “He was born and brought up in this village. We all know him. He could never commit such a crime. He talks little and never gets involved in any crime,” said Pradeep.

Ashok earlier worked as a driver in the village school but joined Ryan International School eight months ago through a friend to augment his income. “He earned only ₹4,000 a month in the village school, but at Ryan he was paid ₹7,000,” said Pramod.

The family claimed that the police did not inform them about the arrest and that they got the news from TV channels.