Ryan student dad says son murdered

City police rules out sexual assault claim

The father of six-year-old student Devansh Meena of Ryan International School, who died after drowning in a sewage tank inside the school premises last week, alleged that his son was sexually assaulted before being killed “as there were injury marks on his private parts”, claims which the Delhi police has ruled out for now.

Devansh’s father Ram Heth Meena on Saturday said that there were injury marks on his son’s body, including private parts, and that the principal has threatened them to keep quiet over the issue. “I saw the body. There were some injury marks and cotton on his private parts. The principal has been threatening me since the beginning, saying that keeping quiet will be good for me,” Mr Meena said as he renewed the demand for a CBI probe. The aggrieved father also demanded that the licence or registration of the school be cancelled.

“We are demanding a CBI probe so as to know how my child reached that unapproachable place which is often locked and why he would crawl to reach that place. Even after the body was found, they were discussing who is going to take out the body from the tank,” claimed Mr Meena, a radiologist at AIIMS, adding, “The police has not taken any action. Those arrested were given bail immediately instead of being sent to remand. I have raised 25 questions to the police and they are not responding to my questionnaire.”

On Friday, sources had claimed that when Devansh’s body was taken out of the tank, he was semi-naked and was not wearing his uniform on the lower part of the body, raising doubts of sexual assault.

The police is also examining three balls and three spectacles recovered from the sewage tank in which Devansh was found dead.

“We are waiting for the final autopsy reports to ascertain many facts that have opened up during the investigation,” DCP south district Prem Nath said..

The Class 1 student had died on January 30 after falling into the sewage tank in the school premises. The parents of the deceased had blamed the school authorities for negligence.

The school authorities however, had denied any negligence and said that the boy was suffering from attention deficit hyper activity syndrome.

Police sends notice to 2 top officials Even as the Delhi police awaits the final autopsy report to take further action in connection with the drowning of a six-year-old boy in Ryan International School, notices have been sent to two top officials of the group seeking clarification on the underground sewage tank where Devansh Meena’s body was found and guidelines for handling any emergency. The cops also ruled out the possibility of sexual assault on the boy on the basis of preliminary reports.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Prem Nath said on Saturday: “Notices have been sent under relevant CrPC provisions. We have sought information on the charter of duty and construction of the underground tank where the boy was found dead,” adding, “There is no possibility of sexual assault as per initial reports. The case was registered based on the statement of the child’s father. The matter is being probed from all possible angles. Neglige-nce has come to fore, on the basis of which we have arrested five persons so far. Further investigation is underway.”

The notices were sent on Friday to Ryan International Group’s chief administrative officer Ryan Pinto and northern zone head Francis Thomas, a senior officer said.

On Thursday, five days after Devansh was found dead, the police had arrested the principal, a class teacher and three non-teaching staff of the school in South Delhi’s Vasant Kunj under charges of negligence.

An official privy to the investigation said the questions on the “charter of duty” are related to responsibilities of the staff members employed by the school’s management and the protocol to be followed at times of emergency.

During investigation it also came to light that children often went near the water reservoir, which had no cautionary signages nearby but no untoward incidents had taken place until this case.

It has also been learnt, the cops said, that they have found eyeglasses, which have been sent for forensic examination.

Meanwhile, it also emerged that the school was reportedly yet to obtain a completion certificate from the authorities concerned for its alleged deviance from the approved plan in connection with the Vasant Kunj building.

The police said that they have also sought information from the Delhi Development Authority regarding the matter.