Police personnel maintain security at the Ryan International School in the view of protests in Gurugram on Sunday. | PTI

Gurgaon schoolboy murder case: Ryan Group's chairman, MD get interim protection from arrest

Barring the three Pinto family members, it is unclear as of now whether the remaining trustees stand to be implicated in the Gurgaon schoolboy murder case which has snowballed into a national issue.

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today granted interim protection from arrest to Ryan International Group's founding chairman and manging director till tomorrow in connection with the murder of a boy in the school's premises in Gurgaon.

Ryan International Group's founding chairman Augustine Pinto (73) and his wife Grace Pinto (62), who is the group's managing director, had yesterday approached the high court seeking anticipatory bail apprehending arrest in the case.

Their counsel Niteen Pradhan had yesterday said that along with Augustine Pinto and Grace Pinto, their son Ryan Pinto, the group's CEO, also filed an anticipatory bail plea.

However, Pradhan today said that due to some problem, Ryan Pinto's application was not filed with the high court registry.

"Ryan's application for anticipatory bail is in process and will be filed soon," he said.

Justice Ajey Gadkari said, "The applicants (Augustine Pinto and Grace Pinto) shall not be arrested till tomorrow.

The matter is adjourned till tomorrow on the request of the additional public prosecutor appearing for the Maharashtra government."

Additional public prosecutor Aruna Kamat Pai told the HC that the court would have to also issue notice and hear the Haryana government as the offence in connection with the boy's killing is registered there.

To this, Justice Gadkari said, "For transit anticipatory bail why should this court hear the Haryana government? Let the applicants approach the court concerned there."

The court, however, posted the matter tomorrow after Pai said she requires time.

Meanwhile, a lawyer, Gunratan Sadavarte, who was in the court when the matter was being heard, told the HC that he wanted to file an intervening application on behalf of some parents' associations opposing the bail pleas of the Pintos.

Justice Gadkari, however, refused to hear him and said he can approach the court concerned in Haryana with his grievance.

Two top officials of the Ryan International School were earlier arrested while the acting principal detained for questioning in connection with the murder.

The killing of seven-year-old Pradyuman inside the school premises has left several unsolved questions before his parents and the special investigation team (SIT) of Gurgaon Police probing the gruesome murder case which has sparked countrywide outrage.