Committee finds loopholes in Ryan security system, says Haryana minister

A three-member committee formed to probe the circumstances leading to the murder of an eight-year-old student at Ryan International School, Bhondsi, has found loopholes in the school’s security system.

The committee noted that there are no separate toilets for about 40 adult school bus drivers and conductors and the facility is shared with students. The windows of the toilets are broken and no guards are deployed there.

Gurgaon deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh had constituted the committee on Friday after the boy was found murdered in a school toilet in the morning.

A 42-year-old bus conductor Ashok Kumar was arrested for the crime. Kumar was in the toilet when the victim walked in. Kumar tried to sodomise the kid and killed him when he put up a resistance.

The committee comprised the district education officer, block education officer, and an official of the district Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan. The committee members refused to share details of the findings.

Haryana education minister Ram Bilas Sharma, however, said the committee had found a lot of loopholes in the safety measures at the school.

“The committee found that the toilets were shared by students and the bus staff, there is no security for students inside toilets, the school boundary is porous, no checking system on entry and the reach of CCTV cameras is not comprehensive,” said Sharma on Sunday.

Sharma, who visited Gurgaon on Sunday, said he received inputs from the officials and a detailed report would be submitted by Monday.

“Action is being initiated against the school under section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act. More sections may be added after the report is received. The name of the school owner and management officials may be added,” he said. Sharma said the school did not check the background of the accused and it was a serious matter.

The minister said the revoking the NoC of the school was not an option as the future of about 1,200 students was involved. “There is no such option so far. About 1,200 students study in the school. We will ask the school to strengthen safety measures,” he said.

The state education department on Monday will release strict guidelines regarding security and safety of students in private schools . Sharma said the safety of the students would be responsibility of the schools from time of picking up and dropping them at home.

Sharma said the government was open to an inquiry into the murder by higher agencies if the family was not satisfied with the probe of the local police.