Principal suspended after murder of Class 2 student

Agencies
September 9, 2017

Gurgaon, Sept 9:  Amid calls for action by angry parents against a school in Gurgaon where a seven-year-old child was killed allegedly by a bus conductor inside a toilet, the acting principal of Ryan International School has been suspended.

"Principal Neerja Batra has been suspended. We took action against the security agency of the school. A special committee is probing the case," Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner of Police Simardeep Singh said this afternoon.

There have been angry protests at the Ryan International School by hundreds of agitated parents since yesterday morning when the seven year old boy was found with his throat slit in the school bathroom. The Class 2 student had been brutally murdered allegedly by a school bus conductor who also tried to sexually assault the boy.

The conductor, Ashok, was arrested late Friday evening after the police questioned several staff members, teachers and even spoke to students. He will be produced in a local court in Gurgaon this afternoon.

But parents say just the arrest of the conductor is not enough. They want the school to be held accountable. The father of the seven-year-old victim visited the Gurgaon Police Commissioner's office this morning to demand action against management of the school. His elder daughter studies in Class 5 in the same school.

"The school could not even ensure basic safety for my son, how will then parents send children to school," Jyoti, the child's mother, told news agency ANI. "My son did not even know the bus conductor as he never traveled in bus. We used to drop him and pick him," she added.

The District Collector has formed a committee which will report on the lapses by the school.

Hundreds of parents had barged into the school building yesterday, flung furniture around and shattered the glass award cases. They shouted slogans until they were ushered out by policemen of the gates. With many parents still protesting outside the school this morning, security has been significantly raised. Dozens of policemen could be seen stationed outside the school today.

Pramod Kamboj, an angry parent, says his two children go to Ryan International but neither of their teacher in-charge answered his frantic calls yesterday inquiring about the wellbeing of his children. "For any parent a school is a safe haven but not only has the school failed in providing a safe environment but also didn't find it necessary to inform worried parents if their child was the one attacked. There must be a probe against the school too," he says.

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News Network
January 20,2026

DGP.jpg

Karnataka DGP (Civil Rights Enforcement) K Ramachandra Rao was suspended with immediate effect, as per a state government order issued on Monday, 19 January. The order cited conduct unbecoming of a government servant and causing embarrassment to the state administration.

The Karnataka government suspended Rao after a purported video showed him in a compromising position with a woman inside his official chamber. The video went viral on social media. Rao rejected the videos outright, terming them "fabricated and false".

Who is K Ramachandra Rao?

Rao is a DGP-rank officer who was heading the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement until his suspension. He was promoted to DGP in September 2023 and assumed office in October 2023, the Sunday Guardian reported.

He also served as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.

His stint as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for the Southern Range was also marred by controversy. In 2014, during a cash seizure near Mysuru’s Yelwal, officials claimed the seized amount was ₹20 lakh, while the accused (Kerala-based merchants) claimed it was around ₹2.27 crore.

Rao, who was present during the seizure, denied all allegations. However, he was transferred soon after.

Allegations of collusion with a businessman surfaced, and a senior police officer was quoted by The Sunday Guardian as saying, “In Rao’s case, the CID has clearly mentioned that there was a great degree of lapse on the part of Rao and a deputy superintendent of police after it was brought to their notice that a few policemen, including a gunman attached to the IGP, were involved in the robbery.”

Rao had denied all wrongdoing in that incident. Despite past controversies, he rose to the state’s top police position, the Sunday Guardian reported.

Ranya Rao’s stepfather

Rao is the stepfather of Kannada actress Harshavardhini Ranya alias Ranya Rao, accused of orchestrating the illegal import of gold worth over ₹12.56 crore from Dubai to India along with two others — businessman Tarun Raju, and jewellery dealer Sahil Jain.

‘Obscene video’ controversy

A viral video showed Rao behaving inappropriately with a woman inside his office while in uniform.

The Karnataka government said in its Monday order that “vide videos and news reports widely broadcast on public news channels and media platforms, it is observed that Dr K Ramachandra Rao has acted in an obscene manner which is unbecoming of a Government Servant and also causing embarrassment to the Government.”

The order said the matter was examined by the state government, which found that the officer's conduct amounted to a violation of Rule 3 of the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.

The government said it is prima facie satisfied that "it is necessary to place Rao under suspension with immediate effect, pending inquiry".

During the suspension period, Rao will be entitled to subsistence allowance as per Rule 4 of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.

The order also places restrictions on his movement, stating that during the period of suspension, the officer must not leave headquarters under any circumstances without the written permission of the state government.

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