According to Principal Fr Francis Carvalho, the group led by the local Sena pramukh had a rather forced interface with him as the bodyguard looked on.

``They spoke in a refined manner, but their body language was quite different,'' he said, adding that he had told the he would discuss the matter with the manager. ``But while leaving, one of them kicked the door,'' the principal told Express Newsline. The school registered a complaint with the Malad (W) police station, which has posted two constables on thepremises.

Two days later, another group of Sainiks visited the school ``and made a lot of noise'', Fr Carvalho said. They were however barred entry.

Fr Carvalho says the school authorities are under pressure during admissions every year. ``However, this year it appears to be more organised. Also, it is indimidating to see striding into the school holding a gun. That upsets the students,'' he says.

The incident has certainly upset parents, with the Parent Teachers Association and members of the `Voice of the Exploited' group standing outside the school gate to `protect' the students. ``We have taken time off from work, and we shall stand here for 15 days if that is what it takes,'' said a parent, adding that the episode had considerably frightened the children. ``They were asking why people were coming to the school with guns. They wanted to know if these men would shoot them,'' another parent adds.

The same group of Sainiks allegedly also met the school authorities at the nearby Carmel of St JosephSchool and demanded admission for three students there. While the authorities refused to comment, they have asked for police protection. However, no police officials were present at the school today, though the Sainiks had said they would return to meet the manager today.

At the Infant Jesus School at Jogeshwari (E), which was also threatened on Tuesday, manager Fr Jerome Lobo was still busy tackling requests for admissions. After fending off Sainiks, there was a request from an MLA to accommodate a student. ``This is a sensitive area, especially after the riots, and even a small incident could blowing up into a big issue,'' he says. The local Sena pramukh who came to visit him was also accompanied by two constables, Fr Lobo said, adding that it appeared to be a ``pressure tactic''.