News Brief
Mumbai Hostage-Taker Dies After Police Standoff; 17 Children Rescued Safely
Rohit Arya (Image via X)
Rohit Arya, the man who held 17 children hostage in Mumbai’s Powai area on Thursday (30 October), died after sustaining injuries during an exchange of fire with police, the NDTV reported.
According to police, Arya opened fire with an air gun during the rescue operation, prompting police to return a single round.
He was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
The incident occurred at RA Studios, a small film studio where Arya had called children aged 8 to 14 for what he described as an “audition.”
The hostages were rescued unharmed after being held for nearly two hours. Police from Powai Station received a distress call around 1:45 pm and began negotiations, but Arya refused to release the children and threatened to harm them.
Police eventually broke in through a bathroom and secured all 17 children safely.
He said his motive was to demand attention for “simple, moral, and ethical demands” and warned, “The slightest wrong move from you will trigger me to set this whole place on fire.”
Police recovered an air gun and chemical containers from the scene.
Investigators said Arya had grievances over unpaid dues related to the PLC Sanitation Monitor Project under the Chief Minister’s My School, Beautiful School campaign.
He had claimed that despite a Rs 2 crore sanction, he was not paid since January 2024 and had been sidelined despite assurances from former Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar.
