Cops to stand trial for framing bus conductor in Gurugram murder case

In a significant development in the 2017 Prince murder case, a CBI Special Judicial Magistrate, Anil Kumar Yadav, has taken cognisance of charges against four Haryana police officers accused of fabricating evidence to frame an innocent man. The officers — Inspector Narinder Singh Khatana, DSP Birem Singh, Sub-Inspector Shamsher Singh and ESI Subhash Chand — have been summoned to appear in court on July 15.

The case was argued by Amit Jindal, Public Prosecutor for the CBI, SC-I, New Delhi, while Sushil K Tekriwal, counsel for complainant Barun Chandra Thakur — father of the victim — joined proceedings via video-conferencing, continuing his long legal battle for justice.

The tragic incident dates back to September 8, 2017, when the body of seven-year-old Prince was found in the washroom of a prominent Gurugram school. Initially, bus conductor Ashok Kumar was arrested by local police and accused of the murder, triggering national outrage. However, a subsequent probe by the CBI cleared Kumar and instead charged a juvenile student, identified as Bholu, under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC. The case remains contentious over whether the juvenile should be tried as an adult.

The CBI’s chargesheet alleged that the four officers conspired to protect the actual perpetrator by creating false records, planting fabricated evidence and extracting a forced confession from Kumar through torture and threats. Documents including seizure memos, case diaries and confession statements were allegedly manipulated or backdated to frame him.

In a scathing observation, the magistrate said such acts “could not be considered part of official duty” and no prior sanction was needed to prosecute the officers. The charges include criminal conspiracy, fabrication of evidence, intimidation and obtaining confession through hurt — all aimed at securing a wrongful conviction that could have led to a death sentence.

“This is a long overdue step in our pursuit of justice,” said Barun Chandra Thakur, Prince’s father. “My child was murdered and then an innocent man was nearly destroyed. We have fought eight years for accountability — and now, there is hope.”

The case had earlier led to the Punjab and Haryana High Court issuing a notice to the state government, directing the case’s transfer to a special CBI court in Panchkula due to serious concerns over the local investigation.

Haryana Tribune