Mumbai, November1: Nineteen people, including 17 children, were rescued by police from an acting studio in Mumbai’s Powai area on Thursday after being held hostage for several hours by a man armed with an airgun and chemicals, police said. The suspect, identified as 50-year-old Rohit Arya, was shot during the operation and later died in hospital.
The children, aged between 10 and 15, had reportedly been called to R.A. Studio over the past few days for auditions for a web series. Police said Arya, who locked himself inside the building with the children and two adults, released a video during the standoff in which he claimed he was seeking “moral and ethical conversations” and had no terrorist or financial motive.
“The slightest wrong move may trigger me to set this whole place on fire,” Arya said in the video, warning police not to intervene.
A team from the Powai police station, supported by a Quick Response Team, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, and the fire brigade, surrounded the studio and attempted to negotiate with Arya. When talks failed, police entered the premises through a bathroom window using a ladder.
“Arya was shot when he tried to harm the children. He was declared dead at 5:15 p.m.,” said a senior police official. “All the children are safe and have been handed over to their parents.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade said the rescue was “challenging,” but officers acted with the top priority of saving the children. The Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation and is recording statements from witnesses and those present in the building.
Mumbai Congress president and lawmaker Varsha Gaikwad called the incident “deeply disturbing,” alleging it reflected a “deterioration in the city’s law and order situation.” She said Arya had previously worked on projects with the Maharashtra School Education Department and had protested over unpaid dues of about 20 million rupees ($240,000).
The state’s education department confirmed Arya’s company, Apsara Media Entertainment Network, had received limited funding for a “Swachhata Monitor” school initiative but said further payments were withheld after irregularities were detected.
“The department found that his firm was collecting registration fees from schools through a private website without approval,” Deputy Secretary Tushar Mahajan said in a statement.
State Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said Arya could have pursued his payment grievances through proper channels. “He should have clarified his position with the department instead of endangering children’s lives,” Kesarkar told reporters.
