Mumbai's Powai hostage crisis brings back memories of BEST bus hijacking. What happened in 2008?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Mumbai's Powai hostage crisis brings back memories of BEST bus hijacking. What happened in 2008?")
For representational purpose only Photograph: (ANI)
On October 30, 2025, a hostage situation in Powai, Mumbai, mirrored the 2008 bus hijacking, leading to police gunfire and a tragic standoff involving innocent civilians
On October 30, 2025, a harrowing hostage crisis unfolded in Mumbai’s Powai, as Rohit Arya, a 50-year-old from Nagpur, took 17 children and two adults hostage at RA Studio. The drama quickly escalated, drawing chilling comparisons to the infamous 2008 Rahul Raj bus hijacking in the city.
Details of the Powai Incident
Arya, who had claimed to be a web series director, invited children aged 13 to 17 to the studio for what he said would be auditions. However, once inside, he locked the doors, filmed a video threatening violence and fire, and demanded to speak with specific individuals, including former education minister Deepak Kesarkar. He said he was seeking justice for unpaid dues related to an educational film he had made for the state government. After negotiations broke down, the police launched a rapid rescue operation, successfully freeing the hostages. Unfortunately, Arya was killed in the crossfire during the operation. The Crime Branch has since taken over the investigation.
Also Read: Maha govt denies claims of hostage taker Rohit Arya not getting dues; issues clarification
The 2008 bus hijacking incident
The standoff in Powai quickly brought to mind the 2008 hijacking of a BEST bus (route No. 332) in Andheri. On October 27, 2008, Rahul Raj, a 25-year-old from Bihar, hijacked a bus during peak hours. Armed with a gun and an iron chain, he attacked the conductor and opened fire on the passengers. Raj claimed he had hijacked the bus to target Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray, whose party had recently assaulted North Indian railway exam candidates in Mumbai. After a tense standoff, Mumbai police shot and killed Raj when he refused to surrender. The then-Deputy Chief Minister, RR Patil, defended the police action, saying, “If someone uses a bullet, they’ll get one in return.” The shooting sparked widespread outrage, especially in Bihar, where political leaders like Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav demanded a judicial inquiry, accusing the police of cold-blooded murder.
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Comparison and aftermath
The Powai hostage crisis and the 2008 bus hijacking share disturbing similarities in their tense confrontations, with both incidents involving armed individuals holding hostages, demanding justice, and ultimately leading to police gunfire. While the 2025 incident ended with Arya's death, the political reverberations of the 2008 standoff continue to resonate, reminding the city of its fraught history with hostage situations and high-stakes negotiations.
