Man who held 19 hostage in Powai studio dies of gunshot injury

Mumbai Police on Thursday ended a tense three-hour hostage crisis in Powai, safely rescuing 17 children and two adults from a film studio where a man identified as Rohit Arya (50) had barricaded himself with them. Arya died later from a bullet injury sustained during the rescue operation.

The ordeal began at around 1.30 pm, when the Powai police station received a distress call that Arya had locked himself and a group of children inside RA Studio on the first floor of the Mahavir Classik building. The children, boys and girls aged between 10 and 12, had been attending auditions for a web series that had been underway for two days.

Before the police intervened, Arya released a video explaining his motives, saying he had abandoned plans of suicide to stage the standoff instead. “I have very simple demands. Very moral, ethical demands. I have some questions,” he said. “I want to speak to some people... I want these answers. I am not a terrorist, nor do I have any demand for money. (I) want to make simple conversations.”

In the same video, Arya warned authorities against rash action. “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.

He ended by saying that after his “conversations” he would leave, claiming that “a lot of people have these problems” and that he intended to offer “a solution,” though he did not clarify what the problems were.

As word spread, anxious parents gathered outside the 10-storey building while a large police contingent sealed off the area. Deputy commissioner of police Datta Nalawade said the department immediately launched a rescue operation involving the Quick Response Team (QRT), Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, and fire brigade personnel.

“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,” DCP Nalawade said.

Joint commissioner of police (law and order) Satyanarayan confirmed at around 4.15 p.m. that “all the children are safe”. Arya was declared dead at 5.15 pm, officials later said.

According to the police, Arya was armed with an air gun and had some chemical substances in his possession. Negotiations continued for several hours but made no progress. As the situation grew critical, a police team entered the studio through a bathroom, using a ladder provided by the fire brigade to access a first-floor window.

“It was a challenging operation because we were negotiating with him without any positive outcome... To save the children’s lives was our priority,” DCP Nalawade said. The children, along with a senior citizen and another man, were brought out safely.

Investigators later said Arya, who worked in the entertainment industry, had previously been involved in projects with the Maharashtra education department and had claimed the government owed him about Rs 2 crore. He had reportedly staged protests over the alleged dues in the past.

Mumbai Congress president and MP Varsha Gaikwad said the incident reflected a worsening law and order situation in the city. “Rohit Arya had worked on major projects with the Maharashtra education department, and he claimed he was owed Rs 2 crore, for which he had held protests earlier. Due to this negligence on the part of the government, the lives of many children were put in danger today,” she said.

When asked about the incident, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said details would be shared soon.

Police officials said an inquiry is underway to determine the exact sequence of events, Arya’s mental state, and the nature of the chemicals found at the site. Investigators are also verifying his claims about government dues, which appear to have been at the centre of his grievance.

The rescued children were later reunited with their parents, with medical teams confirming that all were unharmed but deeply shaken by the incident.

With PTI inputs