Mumbai: Nearly eight years after the murder of a seven-year-old student inside an elite Gurugram school shook the nation and triggered widespread outrage over child safety in educational institutions, the haunting case is now set to reach the screen in a major adaptation backed by Matchbox Shots.
The acclaimed Mumbai-based production house, known for critically celebrated titles such as Andhadhun, Scoop, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack and Khauf, has acquired the screen rights to The Gurugram School Murder, a forthcoming investigative book by senior Hindustan Times editor and veteran crime journalist Leena Dhankhar.
At the centre of the adaptation is producer and creative lead Dikssha Jyote Routray, who is helming the project and shaping its creative vision. Industry insiders say the project reflects Routray’s focus on emotionally layered, socially relevant storytelling rooted in real events and human tragedy.
The book revisits the chilling events of September 8, 2017, when seven-year-old Prince – a pseudonym used under court-directed juvenile protection norms -was found murdered inside the bathroom of his school in Gurugram. The case initially saw the arrest of a school bus conductor by Haryana Police before the Central Bureau of Investigation later arrested a Class XI student, alleging that the murder had been committed to postpone examinations and a parent-teacher meeting.
The incident sparked nationwide debate around school safety, investigative lapses, media scrutiny, and the psychological pressures faced by children growing up in highly competitive urban environments.
According to the makers, the adaptation will draw extensively from Dhankhar’s years of ground reporting, investigation, court tracking, and interactions with the victim’s family. Beyond the crime itself, the narrative will focus on the devastating emotional aftermath endured by the family as they continued their prolonged fight for justice.
“What happened in this case is not just a headline or a sensational crime — it is every parent’s deepest fear coming alive in the most unimaginable manner,” said Dikssha Jyote Routray. “When we began exploring this story, what stayed with us was not merely the brutality of the incident, but the unbearable emotional vacuum that followed for the family and the disturbing systemic questions it exposed. This tragedy forces society to confront uncomfortable realities about the pressures surrounding children today, the vulnerabilities within institutions that are expected to ensure safety, and the emotional isolation families experience while seeking justice.
“Our endeavour is to approach this adaptation with immense sensitivity, honesty and responsibility. We are not looking at this as just a true-crime project, but as a deeply human story about grief, resilience, accountability and memory. The emotional truth of the family’s journey will remain at the heart of the narrative. We hope the series creates meaningful conversations around parenting, institutional responsibility, mental health, and the urgent need to place children’s emotional well-being at the centre of modern society.”
For Dhankhar, who has closely covered the case since the beginning, the adaptation is an opportunity to ensure that the human tragedy behind the headlines is not forgotten.
“This is not merely a crime story. It is the story of a family’s unimaginable loss and their long struggle for justice,” Dhankhar said. “Over the years, I have closely witnessed the emotional trauma, helplessness and resilience of the family as they navigated investigation after investigation, court hearings, public scrutiny and endless delays. The tragedy did not end with the murder; for the family, the pain became a part of everyday life.
“Through the book and now its screen adaptation, we hope people understand the emotional devastation such incidents leave behind — not only on parents, but on an entire family trying to cope with grief while fighting a prolonged legal battle. This case also raises larger questions about institutional accountability, the pressures faced by children, and the failures that can occur within systems meant to ensure safety.
“The family has lived with this loss every single day for years, and their pursuit of justice has remained unwavering despite the emotional and psychological toll. Our attempt is to tell this story with honesty, sensitivity and responsibility, so that the human tragedy behind the headlines is never forgotten.”
The project also has the support of Prince’s father, who has spent years pursuing justice in the case.
“There has not been a single day when we have not remembered or missed him,” Thakur said. “Our fight has been painfully long, but we will continue until justice is delivered. We want the truth to reach more people so society understands our pain and ensures accountability.”
For Matchbox Shots, the adaptation further strengthens its growing slate of stories inspired by real-life events and layered human experiences. The production house is also preparing for the release of its upcoming war drama series Operation Safed Sagar.
Industry observers believe the adaptation could emerge as one of the most closely watched true-crime projects in recent years, given the case’s lasting public memory and the larger conversations it ignited around justice, parenting, institutional accountability, and the emotional cost of tragedy in modern India.