Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday extended till Thursday the interim protection from arrest granted to the trustees of Ryan International Group, even as the father of the boy, who was found dead inside Ryan International School in Gurgaon, opposed their anticipatory bail pleas. The High Court directed the boy’s father, Barun Thakur, to give the trustees a copy of his intervening application.
Mr. Thakur, through his advocate Sushil Tekriwal, told Justice A.S. Gadkari that he is the complainant and opposes the petitions by the trustees in the strongest possible words as the case falls ‘under the rarest of rare case where a brutal, diabolical, cold-blooded, barbarous, demonic, unpardonable, unprovoked, hellish, cruel homicide’ has taken place on the campus of Ryan International School.
Augustine Pinto (73), who is the founding chairman and managing director of the school, his wife Grace Pinto (62), and Ryan, the chairperson, moved the court on September 11, seeking transit anticipatory bail.
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On September 12, Justice A.S. Gadkari said, “This is only a case of transit remand. Let the accused go to the State where the crime occurred and seek anticipatory bail there. The State can oppose it there.”
The Ambedkar Students Association and the parents group in Mumbai have also intervened and opposed the anticipatory bail petitions.
The Pintos, in their pleas, have said that the death of the child was very unfortunate, but the management cannot be held culpable and that they themselves are victims of unfortunate circumstances. Their application said the death has caused deep pain and grief not only to the parents and the family, but also to the trustees, management, staff, and students of the school. “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.”
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Ryan staff questioned
Staff at Ryan International School in Kandivali were questioned by the Haryana Police for the second day on Wednesday. Two officers, part of an SIT formed by the Haryana Police, went through the school records, said a senior official of the Mumbai Police. However, no member of the Pinto family, was questioned.