Hostage drama ends in Mumbai’s Powai: 17 kids rescued, accused shot dead

In a tense one-hour standoff at a Powai studio, Mumbai Police rescued 19 individuals, including 17 children, from a man who had lured them for a web series audition. Rohit Arya, the hostage-taker, released a video outlining vague demands before threatening the children with an air gun.

Mumbai: Mumbai Police on Thursday rescued 19 persons including 17 children from a studio in Powai area while the man who had held them hostage succumbed to bullet injuries sustained during the operation, officials said.

Rohit Arya (50), who released a video statement during the hostage drama that went on for about an hour, saying he wanted to “ask questions to some people”, was shot by police when he tried to harm the children with an air gun and later died at hospital, officials said.

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“At about 1.30 pm, Powai police station received information that a person had taken 17 children hostage at Mahavir Classic building. The Mumbai Police team conducted a rescue operation and safely freed all the children. During the operation, while rescuing the children, the person got injured, was immediately rushed to the hospital and later declared dead,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade.

“All the children are safe,” said Satyanaranyan, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order).

Arya had called the children — boys and girls around 15 years old — for an audition for a web series. The auditions were going on for the last two days, police officials said.

Besides an air gun, he was carrying some chemicals, they added.

Initially, police did not mention that there had been a firing during the operation. Arya was declared dead at 5.15 pm, officials said.

After receiving a call about a man holding children hostage inside R A Studio in Mahavir Classic building, Powai police officials along with a Quick Response Team (QRT), Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and a fire brigade team reached the spot, said DCP Nalawade.

Before the police entered the studio, Arya released a video which went viral on social media.

“I am Rohit Arya. Instead of (committing) suicide, I made a plan and have taken a few children hostage….I have very simple demands. Very moral, ethical demands. I have some questions. I want to speak to some people and on their answers, if there are any counter-questions, I want to ask them. But I want these answers. I do not want anything else. I am not a terrorist, nor do I have any demand of money. Want to make simple conversations,” he said.

“The slightest wrong move from your end may trigger me to set this whole place on fire….whether I die or not, the children will be unnecessarily hurt, traumatised for sure….I should not be held responsible,” he said.

After the “conversations,” he will come out of the room, Arya said, adding that a “lot of people have these problems” and he will offer a solution through talks, without specifying what problems he was talking about.

DCP Nalawade said the police tried to negotiate with him, but as the talks made no headway, a police team entered the studio through the bathroom.

The fire brigade provided a ladder for the police to climb to a first-floor window.

Seventeen children, a senior citizen and another man were rescued, Nalawade said.

“It was a challenging operation, because we were negotiating with him without any positive outcome….To save the children’s lives was our priority,” he said.

When asked by reporters about the incident in Amravati, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said details will be shared soon.