"All the children are safe and have been handed over to their parents," said Satyanaranyan, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order)
Mumbai: The Mumbai police on Thursday rescued 19 people, including 17 children, who were reportedly held hostage by a man inside a studio in Mumbai’s Powai area. The suspect identified as Rohit Arya, who appeared to be mentally unstable, was shot dead during the rescue operation.
The tense situation unfolded at R.D. Studio, Powai where Aarya took 17 children hostage. A police official said that a distress call was received from the studio at around 1.45pm after which teams from Powai and Sakinaka police stations rushed to the scene. The children, aged between 13 and 17, had reportedly travelled from various parts of Mumbai Metropolitan Region to attend an audition for an advertisement shoot being held at the studio. They were rescued after the hostage situation that lasted nearly two and a half hours.
Arya was reportedly conducting fake auditions for a web series for the past three days. While on the first day there were around 100 boys and girls, on the third day only the shortlisted 17 were present.
The police confirmed that all the children were safe and had been handed over to their guardians. The police said the rescue operation ended around 3.45 pm. A team initially tried to negotiate and then conducted a forced entry, rescuing all the children.
According to the police, Arya opened fire and was injured in the retaliatory fire from the police. He died during treatment. An air gun was later recovered from the site, a police official said.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Chaudhary said, “Prima facie, it appears that the motive behind the hostage situation is connected to some unresolved work-related payments owed to the suspect.”
According to reports, Pune resident Arya had once secured a tender for a school-related project under the education department during the tenure of then Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar. He later alleged that despite his involvement, he was never paid for his work. He had also claimed credit for launching the Swacchta Monitor concept in Maharashtra in 2023, another initiative for which he said he was denied recognition and payment.
Before the children were rescued, Arya allegedly uploaded a video on social media stating that he wanted to speak to certain individuals and was not demanding money. He also threatened to set the Powai studio on fire if his demands were not met.
In the video, Arya said, “Instead of committing suicide, I planned this act. I have taken some children hostage and my demands are simple. I have a few questions that need answers. I want to speak to certain people and, based on their responses, I will ask follow-up questions. I am not a terrorist, nor am I seeking any money.”
Stating that he did not want to harm the children, Arya further said, “If even a small mistake is made on your part, I will set this entire place on fire. I am ready to die, but if the children are harmed, or if it affects them mentally, do not hold me responsible. I want to make it clear to everyone—do not provoke me. I am an ordinary person and want to speak directly. I will come out myself, and there are several others with me. I will explain the solution myself. But do not provoke me. I will not harm anyone.”
However, it was unclear exactly whom he wanted to speak to or what his specific demands were.
