Parents worry about kids' safety

Mumbai: Three days after a seven-year-old student of Ryan International School, Gurugram, Haryana was allegedly murdered and sexually assaulted by a bus conductor on Friday, there was buzz on social media and among parents that Ryan school across Mumbai would remain shut on Tuesday. On Monday, mediapersons thronged Ryan school at Chembur, Kandivali and Goregaon, following rumours that a team of 14 policemen from Haryana are in Mumbai to quiz the concerned people at the school’s headquarter in Kandivali.

However, Vinay Kumar Rathod, deputy commissioner of police zone 12 said, “We have not received any such intimation from the Haryana police.”

Worried parents debated through out the day on Monday whether to send their wards to the schools on Tuesday. Many parents shared their concerns on whatsapp groups and also held a PTA meet.

“Since Monday morning I have been getting WhatsApp messages stating that the school will remain shut. People are telling each other not to send their children to school as it would be dangerous for them to move out of home because of the tension lingering in the city after the Haryana incident,” said Prasad Vishwanathan, parent of Ryan and ex-member of Parents-Teachers association (PTA).

Concerned over the safety of their child, a majority of the parents have decided not to send their kids to school on Tuesday till things calm down a bit. “Looking at the situation, we have decided not to send our children to school. This will indirectly force the school to remain non-functional on Tuesday,” said another parent. However, the school management has remained silent on the abuse and murder of Pradyuman Thakur (7) at Ryan International school, Gurugram. Despite repeated calls and messages, Neti Srinivasan, spokesperson of the Ryan Group did not respond and remained unavailable for comment.