Hostage crisis involving 17 children at Powai acting studio triggers panic in Mumbai; suspect dies
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Hostage crisis involving 17 children at Powai acting studio triggers panic in Mumbai; suspect dies")
The acting studio in Powai, Mumbai, and the suspect. Photograph: (Screengrab from videos on X)
The suspect, Rohit Arya, had released a video in which he claimed that he wanted to speak with certain people and threatened to “set everything on fire and harm himself and the children” if his demands were not met. He insisted that his demands were “moral” and “ethical”.
A sudden hostage crisis involving 17 children in broad daylight on Thursday at an acting studio in the Powai area of central Mumbai triggered panic and a massive response from the police. The crisis unfolded when a man named Rohit Arya allegedly held 19 people—including 17 children, a senior citizen, and another unidentified man—hostage at an acting studio running in a Powai flat, prompting a massive rescue operation. The tense situation unfolded at RA Studio near the L&T building in Powai, reported PTI news agency. As per initial reports, several children, including boys and girls aged around 15, had been invited to the location for an “audition”.
Suspect shot at during rescue op, succumbs to injuries
The standoff ended when a police officer made a forced entry into the studio and seized an airgun, and some chemicals from Arya’s possession. The suspect was shot at during the rescue operation and later succumbed to injuries at a hospital.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan said that around 20 people had been held hostage inside the studio by the suspect, who appeared mentally ill and was in possession of what looked like a weapon resembling a gun.
“A mentally challenged man has been detained after he took students hostage inside the studio. The suspect wanted to speak to former Maharashtra education minister Deepak Kesarkar over certain issues he claimed to have with the department,” said Senior Inspector of Powai Police, Jeevan Sonawane.
Rescue operation by Mumbai Police and Fire Brigade lasts for over an hour
The dramatic situation unfolded at RA Studio near the L&T building. The children had been called for an “audition”, as per the preliminary information.
The rescue operation involved coordinated efforts by the Mumbai Police and the Fire Brigade and lasted over an hour. All children have been safely rescued and handed over to their guardians, said officials.
“We received a call from the police around 3 pm,” said Station Officer Abhijit Sonawane of the Mumbai Fire Brigade. “We cut open the grille with hydraulic tools and made access for police. They entered inside, and now all are rescued,” he added.
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WATCH: Breaking: Mumbai hostage-taker dies after standoff with cops, 17 children rescued
In video, suspect threatened to ‘set everything on fire’
The suspect, Arya, had released a video in which he claimed that he wanted to speak with certain people and threatened to “set everything on fire and harm himself and the children” if his demands were not met.
The suspect was overpowered and taken to the hospital for medical examination. Police said the incident was reported around 1.45 pm when a distress call from the studio prompted teams from Powai and Sakinaka police stations to rush to the spot. The children, aged between 13 and 17 years, had reportedly travelled from different parts of Maharashtra to attend an audition for an ad shoot being held at the studio.
Mumbai Police teams, including senior officers and a quick response unit, rushed to the spot after receiving information about the standoff.
Witnesses reported seeing children peeking out through the studio’s glass windows as they were confined by the suspect, Rohit Arya, an employee at the studio who also runs a YouTube channel.
In the video, Arya insisted that his demands were not financial but “moral” and “ethical”. He warned authorities not to provoke him and issued a chilling threat. “A slightest wrong move from your end will trigger me to set this entire place on fire and die in it... Please do not trigger me to do any harm to anybody.”
Police are interrogating the accused to determine the exact motive for the act.
