Ryan International School murder case: Court to decide if juvenile accused to be tried as adult

A sessions court in Gurugram on Monday is likely to deliver verdict on whether the juvenile accused of murdering an eight-year-old of Ryan International School in the washroom of a private school last year will be tried as an adult.

Moving the application on November 15, seeking the trial of the juvenile as an adult, the victim's father argued that the manner in which the throat of the seven-year-old was slit showed that the crime was "chilling", "horrific" and "serious" in nature.

Judge Jasbir Singh Kundu, hearing a plea filed by the 16-year-old accused's family last week, had given the CBI one week additional time to file its supplementary chargesheet.

The court also gave additional time to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit its supplementary charge-sheet.

Last year, on December 20, the Juvenile Justice Board had announced that the juvenile accused, a Class XI student, will be tried as an adult. The order was significant as it ensured that the boy, if convicted, will not serve the usual punishment of three years, as is the norm for juveniles. However, if found guilty, he will also not be given a harsher sentence, such as life imprisonment or death, as Section 21 of the Juvenile Justice Act prohibits it.

As per the new law, passed by the Parliament in January 2016, the juvenile if convicted could serve a maximum of 10 to 15 years behind bars.