Ryan bosses face arrest as High Court refuses bail

Three trustees of Ryan International School now face arrest as the Punjab and Haryana High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea they filed after the murder of seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur in a Gurugram branch of the school.

Ryan bosses — founder Augustine Francis Pinto,73, his wife, managing director Grace Pinto, 62, and their son, CEO Ryan Pinto — had sought interim relief after a first information report lodged in Gurugram's Bhondsi led to the arrest of two of the school's top officials.

On Wednesday, a bench headed by Justice Inderjit Singh refused to stay their arrest keeping in mind the ongoing investigation. The court also issued a notice to the Haryana government, directing it to submit their response to the bail plea in the next hearing on September 25.

As residents of Mumbai, the Pinto family had first filed an application seeking protection from arrest at the Bombay High Court on September 14, but the court rejected it. Thakur, a Class 2 student of Ryan International, was found in the school washroom with his throat slit, moments after being dropped off by his father on September 8.

The incident sparked widespread demonstrations and even the Supreme Court asked for a review of safety guidelines followed by private schools in the country.       

While filing for anticipatory bail, the Pintos agreed to cooperate in the investigation and appear before the agencies whenever needed. Augustine and wife Grace also cited their old age and related health problems to seek reprieve.The next date of hearing is September 25.