Gunman Holds Ex-Girlfriend's Family Hostage For Over 5 Hours; Arrested

A man in India was arrested for allegedly taking the family of his ex-girlfriend hostage for six hours, demanding they call off her wedding to another person.

It took 50 policemen and rescue personnel over five hours to end the crisis. The harrowing incident happened in the state of Odisha on Tuesday, reported News 18.

The accused Bikram Panda, 28, has been arrested and is currently in police custody.

The police said Panda barged into former school teacher Madan Hota's house, brandishing a gun, which he pointed at the latter's 14-year-old son's head, threatening to kill him. Panda then demanded information about Hota's niece, who was his former girlfriend.

He claimed he was in love with the girl and wanted her wedding, scheduled for next week, to be called off. Panda said he knew the girl often frequented Hota's house and wanted to see her.

Amid the drama, the family somehow managed to get inside a room and lock themselves in. They also called the police.

"We got a call from the family members, who were trapped in the house, that a gunman had entered their home. A team rushed to the spot and began looking for options to rescue the family members," a senior police official told The Times of India.

After the police surrounded the house, Panda confined himself to the first floor. He threatened to kill himself, as the officers tried to engage him. According to the officials, Panda "seemed edgy" and "was not keen to engage." In the melee, he also fired three blanks, but nobody was injured.

While the accused was trying to load another round of ammunition, the police broke open the door and managed to overpower him.

Meanwhile, the family, including the minor, were rescued safely. "It was a harrowing time for us, the worst in my life. I am grateful to the police for rescuing us," Hota told News 18 after the ordeal.

"It was a very difficult operation and had to be very careful as a minor boy was involved," News 18 quoted senior officer Kushalkar Dagudu as saying.

The accused was immediately arrested. According to the police, Panda had been in a relationship with Hota's niece when she lived in the house. A few months ago, she moved to another town and cut all ties with the man.

The police are currently questioning him to find out how he got a gun.