Students and teachers of Muchia Anchal Chandramohan High School in Malda held their breath for nearly two hours on Wednesday as a man in his mid-40s entered a classroom with two firearms, a dagger and two bottles of petrol, threatening to kill the students if his demands were not met.

The incident, rare in Bengal, has caused a statewide stir.

Eventually, a quick-witted police officer posing as a journalist overpowered Dev Ballav, a 44-year-old resident of Nemua, Malda, and took him into custody. Investigations have started.

Around noon on Wednesday, Dev entered the school and walked straight to the classroom of the seventh standard.

A lady teacher was in the class, and there were 71 students. His sudden entry baffled the teacher and the students. By then, Dev took out a firearm and brandished it at the teacher.

The gunman in the Malda school on Wednesday

“I will not hesitate to kill the students if I don't get my son and wife back,” he shouted.

Sources said his wife is a member of the local Muchia panchayat, but she and their son stay separately from Dev.

“My wife and my son were kidnapped. I lodged several complaints with the police and administration. But no action was taken. Even the media neglected my pleas to bring the issue to the public. If I do not get my wife and son back, I will empty the laps of many mothers,” said Dev, placing two bottles containing petrol on the teacher’s table at the class.

The teacher informed her other colleagues. Soon, the news spread, and guardians and journalists started gathering.

A large contingent of police had reached the spot but had to be cautious as Dev threatened to kill students. He, however, kept talking to newspersons.

Police then hatched a plan. Azharuddin Khan, the deputy superintendent of police (discipline & training), entered the school in plain clothes.

He walked up to the classroom’s gate, where Dev was speaking to newspersons. Posing as a journalist, Khan started communicating with him and suddenly jumped onto him.

“He was trying to use his pistol when I jumped on him and overpowered him. I caught him by his wrist and moved his hand holding the pistol upwards so that even if he fired, the bullet would have hit the roof or wall,” Khan said.

Some other policemen who were nearby caught hold of him. The students were asked to walk out of the class. Then, Dev was brought outside.

As they frisked him, two firearms, one of which was loaded, a dagger, and bottles of petrol were seized from him.

Pradeep Kumar Yadav, the district police chief, also went to the spot. “He has some family problems. He made a live show on social media displaying firearms and other weapons before, was arrested, and later released on bail. We have to interrogate him,” said Yadav.

The incident has left the teachers panicky. Many said they heard about such attacks at schools in the US but not here.

“This is the first time in my 20 years of service that I have seen such an incident,” said a teacher.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee interpreted the incident as a conspiracy hatched in Delhi to malign Bengal.

“Across Bengal, the conspiracy being implemented, I still believe Delhi is part of it. I don’t know exactly who all. But there is Delhi’s conspiracy….A to Z… to disturb the states where the opposition (non-BJP parties) is in power. It is a plan to paint a false picture that law and order is in shambles here,” she said in Nabanna, wondering from where Dev got the idea and whether it was a case of feigned mental instability.

“No normal person can do this. Suddenly he enters a school in Malda and starts claiming a hostage situation?” said Mamata, also the home (police) minister of Bengal.

“As soon as they are caught, they plead insanity…… we have seen in many cases,” she said.

“Our police personnel showed tremendous presence of mind... to diffuse the situation and prevent things from going horribly wrong,” said Mamata.

She advised the school committee to post at least two security guards. “Nowadays, everybody is required to show an ID to enter an educational institution, even students. It seems they mistook him as a parent,” she added.

Subhash Sarkar, the Union minister of state for education, alleged that Dev took such a step because Trinamul exerted political pressure on his wife.