Mumbai hostage scare: Unpaid bills, failed protests — What drove a filmmaker to hold 17 children hostage

Rohit Arya, the man shot dead by Mumbai police after taking 17 children hostage during an audition at a Powai theatre, filmed a final video explaining his actions. In the footage, Arya said that his intention was never to harm the children, but instead to force the authorities to address an alleged debt of ₹2 crore owed to him by the Maharashtra government. Arya emphasised that his demands were ‘simple, moral, and ethical’, and denied having any terrorist motives.

The hostage situation unfolded on Thursday (October 30) at RA Studio, a commercial and residential complex in Powai. Arya, armed with an air gun and flammable spray, held the children for hours before police intervened. In the video, he explained his frustration over unpaid dues for a project he had worked on with the state education department. Arya had been involved with the state’s ‘Swachhata Monitor’ initiative, an effort aimed at raising cleanliness awareness in schools. During his tenure as Project Director for 'Project Let's Change', Arya was supposed to receive payments for his work. However, he had been protesting for months, claiming the government had failed to pay him for his contributions.

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Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar, who served as the state’s education minister from 2022 to 2024, confirmed that Arya had been hired to run a cleanliness awareness program. Kesarkar personally assisted Arya financially after he complained that the government had withheld funds. Despite Arya's claims, the Maharashtra education department denied any wrongdoing. Officials said Arya had charged registration fees from schools participating in the ‘Swachhata Monitor’ and submitted an unclear budget for the project. The department claimed that Arya failed to provide proper documentation to justify the expenses, leading to delays in payment.

In August 2024, the government asked Arya to return the fees he had collected from schools and provide detailed financial documentation before any further payments could be made. The education department further stated that Arya’s firm had been charging a participation fee without approval, which raised additional concerns. After multiple failed attempts to resolve the payment issue, the government ultimately discontinued the Swachhata Monitor project when the BJP-led government, under Devendra Fadnavis, took over in 2024.

Kesarkar acknowledged that Arya had not submitted the required documents for his payments, and although Arya was paid some money from Kesarkar’s personal account, the larger issue remained unresolved. Kesarkar stressed that Arya should have addressed the matter through the proper channels instead of resorting to violence. The hostage crisis ended after a tense 3.5-hour standoff, with police rescuing the children and shooting Arya. The incident has sparked a debate over the handling of government payments and pressure felt by activists like Arya when claims go unresolved.