Super adorable, amiable, a cricket fan and a budding writer - that is how friends and family members in Ranchi remember Pradyuman Thakur, the Class II student who was recently found dead with his throat slit at Ryan International School in Gurgaon.
Popular as Pucchu babu among buddies and pampered as Thakur sahib by his maternal relatives, the seven-year-old frequented his mausibari at CCL's Gandhinagar Colony on Kanke Road. In fact, he had spent his summer vacation here this year and had promised cousins Saket and Nishit - sons of his mausi Savitri Jha and mausa Pushp Kumar Jha - that he would come back for Durga Puja.
The promise will remain unfulfilled just like Pucchu babu's ambition to become a "famous person" when he grows up.
The mood at Gandhinagar Colony's B-quarters has vacillated between horror and anger, besides inexplicable grief, ever since the Jha household saw the Friday news flash about Pradyuman's brutal murder by a school bus conductor who had tried to sexually assault him inside a campus toilet.
Given that children these days often have unrestrained access to social networking sites, many of the schoolboy's friends in Ranchi have been left traumatised by a leaked video on the Internet of his blood-soaked body being discovered.
Abhi (4), the youngest among Pradyuman's play buddies, recalled how he had learnt cricket from Pucchu bhaiya. Within seconds though the happy memory faded and with a blank look Abhi said: "Pucchu bhaiya soya hua tha... bhaiya ka gala kata hua tha... bhaiya mar gaya (I saw Pucchu bhaiya lying with his throat slit. He is dead)."
For cousins Saket and Nishit, and friends Aditi, Pihu and Samridhi Sejal, the gory image will haunt them forever.
Samridhi (9) said they had great fun every time Pradyuman came to Ranchi. "We played cricket, badminton and antakshari . We were so looking forward to Puja vacation. Pucchu babu was a good player and a kind brother. He wanted to be a famous person," she said as her eyes welled up.
Maternal aunt Savitri felt as much outrage as sorrow.
"I loved Thakur sahib more than my sons. We were watching the news when the gruesome murder story was flashed. I could barely believe my eyes and ears. Even a day before, he had called me to say he will visit for a couple of days during Puja. Just because the school is politically connected (run by a BJP leader) police are shielding the management, which must be held accountable too. We want a CBI inquiry," she said.
Almost in the same breath, Savitri recalled how Ranchi was Pradyuman's second home.
"As a toddler, he had spent a year here because doctors had advised him change of climate. He had befriended many children in the colony. He often WhatsApped short essays he wrote. He wanted my help to brush up his writing skills," she said.
Maternal uncle Pushp Kumar, a chemistry teacher at DAV-Gandhinagar, left for Haryana the same day as the murder to help the boy's parents tide over the crisis.
Women in Gandhinagar Colony whose children were friends with Pradyuman said they felt irreparable loss.
"These private schools mint money without guaranteeing the safety of our children. What happened at Ryan is shocking and a grim reminder of the Sapphire International School tragedy in Ranchi," said Rupam Mishra, a neighbour.
Pradyuman's father Varun Thakur spoke to this correspondent over phone on Sunday and accused Haryana police of refusing to lodge an FIR against the Ryan authorities.
"The chief minister (Manohar Lal Khattar) promised us fair investigations, but spurned my demand for a CBI probe saying I should trust the state police. Doesn't the CM know why Haryana police are not trustworthy?" Thakur said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RAJ KUMAR
