Man threatened students, teachers with fake rifle, held

In a case of road rage, a Bandra resident allegedly hurled abuses at school bus drivers and threatened schoolchildren, teachers and principal with a “rifle” outside St Anne’s High School on January 12.

In a case of road rage, a Bandra resident allegedly hurled abuses at school bus drivers and threatened schoolchildren, teachers and principal with a “rifle” outside St Anne’s High School on January 12.

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It was only when the police arrested Jaideep Singh Grewal, 44, on Monday from flat at Kiran Tower on Pali Hill, they found out that the rifle was a toy. Grewal claims to be a businessman and a media person.

The incident took place on January 12, at 8am, when the students were leaving for a picnic to Madh island.

As the four buses, carrying more than 250 students from classes 5 to 10, teachers and the principal, were lined up on the road, Grewal, who was driving an open jeep, started honking for way because the area was crowded. He got ahead of the buses and started abusing the driver of the bus first in line.

“The teachers and principal intervened, but he abused them too. When the principal told Grewal that he was scaring the children, he got the rifle from his jeep and threatened those in the bus. Everyone was scared. After a few minutes, he returned to his jeep and drove away,” said Navnath Sonawane, assistant police inspector of the Khar police station.

The school staff was in shock, but they continued with the picnic. When they returned in the evening, parents of the students asked them to take action against the accused.

The school authorities then submitted a written application to the Khar police. The police acquired the jeep’s registration number and traced Grewal. “We arrested him on Monday and seized the rifle that turned out to be a toy,” added Sonawane.