Class 11 student murdered Pradyuman, not conductor: CBI

New Delhi: A Class 11 student who allegedly wanted the parent-teacher meeting and exams to be postponed has been apprehended in connection with the killing of a seven-year-old boy in Gurgaon's Ryan International School, the CBI said on Wednesday.

In a sensational twist to the case, the high school student, who is about 16 years old, was apprehended late Tuesday night for allegedly killing his junior inside the school, said a CBI spokesperson.

Pradyuman, a Class 2 student of the school, was found dead with his throat slit by a sharp-edged weapon on the morning of September 8.

Sources in the agency said the crime was committed in just three to four minutes.

The CBI has not found any evidence so far against bus conductor Ashok Kumar, who was the Gurgaon Police's sole accused in the gruesome killing, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said.

The murder weapon, a knife, was found in the commode of the toilet where the killing allegedly took place, he said.

It was the same knife seized by the Gurgaon Police.

According to the agency, the Class 11 student, believed to be weak in his studies, allegedly slit Pradyuman's throat to get the school to declare a holiday to defer a scheduled parent-teacher meeting (PTM) and an examination.

The CBI spokesperson said the minor student was apprehended Tuesday night at 11.30 pm by the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act.

"His parents were kept in the loop and all measures in accordance with the JJ Act were complied with. He remains our prime suspect."

He said the agency analysed CCTV footage, showing the movement of people in and out of the toilet, by which it narrowed the list of suspects.

The agency has not found any evidence of sexual assault, he said.