CBI Court Frames Charges Against Four Haryana Officers Over False Probe in 2017 Case

A special CBI court in Panchkula on Thursday, December 11, 2025, formally framed charges against four senior Haryana Police officers for allegedly framing an innocent bus conductor and fabricating evidence in the horrific 2017 murder of a seven-year-old Gurugram schoolboy—a case that had shocked the nation and exposed deep rot in the initial investigation. The accused—former Bhondsi SHO Narinder Singh Khatana, then ACP Sohna Birem Singh, sub-inspector Shamsher Singh, and ESI Subhash Chand—now face trial on grave charges including criminal conspiracy (120B IPC), fabricating evidence to procure capital punishment (194 IPC), causing hurt to extort confession (330 IPC), criminal intimidation (506 IPC), and preparing false documents (167 IPC).

All four officers pleaded not guilty. The court fixed January 22, 2026, for commencement of prosecution evidence and summoned the first two prosecution witnesses.

The case dates back to September 8, 2017, when the Class 2 student of a prominent private school in Bhondsi, Gurugram, was found with his throat slit inside the school toilet. Haryana Police swiftly arrested bus conductor Ashok Kumar, claiming he attempted sexual assault and murdered the child when she resisted. The theory triggered massive public outrage and protests after CCTV footage and other inconsistencies surfaced.

Also Read: Delhi HC Transfers 2017 Death Case to CBI, Cites Police Probe Lapses

Under intense pressure and following a Supreme Court intervention on a plea by the victim’s father, the Haryana government transferred the probe to the CBI in late 2017. The central agency’s investigation demolished the police version, concluding that the four officers had tortured Ashok Kumar into confessing, planted the murder weapon (a knife) on him, and fabricated the entire chain of evidence—an act that could have sent an innocent man to the gallows.

In a dramatic twist, the CBI arrested a 16-year-old Class 11 student from the same school, charging the juvenile with murder. Investigators said the boy killed the younger child in a bid to get exams and a parent-teacher meeting postponed. The juvenile’s trial is being conducted separately before the Juvenile Justice Board.

The case against the policemen faced a major hurdle when the Haryana government refused prosecution sanction under Section 197 CrPC. The CBI moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which in January 2025 slammed the refusal as “arbitrary” and directed the state to reconsider, paving the way for Thursday’s chargesheet. With the trial finally beginning after eight long years, the victim’s family and civil society hope the proceedings will deliver justice and serve as a deterrent against custodial framing and investigative misconduct.

Also Read: Lokpal Directs CBI to File Chargesheet Against Mahua Moitra in Cash-For-Query Probe