Ryan student murder: Punjab and Haryana HC stays arrest of 3 trustees

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday stayed the arrest of three Ryan International Group trustees who had sought anticipatory bail in connection with the killing of a student in a Gurgaon school.

A single judge bench granted stay on the arrest of group CEO, Ryan Pinto, and his parents, founding chairman Augustine Pinto and managing director Grace Pinto, who had approached the High Court seeking anticipatory bail on September 16.

The court of Justice Surinder Gupta has stayed their (of three trustees) arrest, said Arshdeep Singh Cheema, who along with advocate Sandeep Kapur appeared for the Pinto family.

The matter has now been listed for October 7, Cheema said.

Ryan Pinto, and his parents had approached the High Court, seeking anticipatory bail in connection with the killing of class 2 student Pradyuman Thakur, who was found with his throat slit in the washroom of a school run by their group on September 8.

School bus conductor Ashok Kumar was arrested in connection with the crime the same day.

On September 25, the High Court had impleaded CBI as a respondent in the petition seeking bail for the three Ryan group trustees.

The Haryana government had recommended a CBI probe in the matter following massive outrage. The premier agency took over the probe on September 22.

The Pintos, who are based in Mumbai, had earlier approached the Bombay High Court as they apprehended arrest in the case after the school was accused of negligence in the death of the seven-year-old.

The Bombay High Court rejected the transit anticipatory bail applications of the three trustees but granted them interim protection from arrest for a day to enable them file appeal.