Court tells CBI to file second chargesheet

Gurgaon: A sessions court on Tuesday directed the CBI to file its second charge sheet in the murder case of a seven-year-old boy at a private school in Haryana by May 14, after the probe agency sought more time.

Additional sessions judge Jasbir Singh Kundu granted time to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after taking note of a fresh plea of the agency stating that the investigation was underway and it needed two more months to complete the probe.

The CBI also told the court that it was currently investigating the role of the management of the private school and would submit the report, once the exercise is completed.

The court, however, refused to grant two months time and directed the CBI to file the report by May 14.

“Further investigation in this case is at a very advanced stage and will take some time to conclude the probe. This is likely to take a period of two months. In case the investigation is completed before two months, the result of further investigation will be submitted in due course before this court,” the CBI said in its plea.

The court also directed the officials of the private school, Francis Thomas and Jayesh Thomas, to be present on the next date of hearing on May 14.

Meanwhile, the arguments on a plea moved by the accused, a 16-year-old student, challenging the Juvenile Justice Board  order, saying it was “bad in law” and was passed without giving him proper opportunity to present his case, was concluded on Tuesday.

Advocate Sushil Tekriwal, lawyer for the victim seven-year-old boy, will commence his arguments on other pleas including challenging of the investigating agency’s custody of the 16-year-old student and taking of fingerprint specimens of the accused.

The Juvenile Justice Board had on December 20 last held that the teenager would be tried as an adult and directed that he be produced before the Gurgaon sessions court. 

The court had earlier directed the CBI to speed up the probe and submit a final progress report by today. 

It had also acquitted bus conductor Ashok Kumar in the murder case after the investigating agency said there was no evidence of his involvement in the crime. Earlier, the court had barred the media from using the name of the 16-year-old accused in the case and asked it to use fictitious names. While the victim, 7, was named “Prince” by the court, the juvenile accused was named “Bholu” and the school was referred to as “Vidyalaya”.  

The CBI had alleged that the teenager had murdered the student in September last year in a bid to get the exams postponed and cancel a scheduled parent-teacher meeting. In the final report, CBI said there is sufficient oral, forensic evidence to substantiate that the 16-year-old committed the murder.