Man holds 17 kids hostage in Powai studio; Mumbai Police rescue all, suspect killed

Rohit Arya, a 50-year-old from Mumbai, became the centre of a citywide scare on Thursday when his personal frustration with the system spiralled into a desperate act.

- MPOST BUREAU

Angry over what he claimed were unpaid dues and official neglect, Arya took 17 children and two adults hostage inside a Powai studio, turning what was meant to be a routine web series audition into a tense, three-hour standoff.

Police commandos eventually stormed the building, rescuing all the hostages unharmed. Arya was injured in the operation and was later declared dead at a hospital. The crisis unfolded with the tension of a movie scene, as commandos climbed a ladder to breach the studio and end the drama that had held Mumbai on edge.

The incident began around 1.30 pm when Powai police received an alert that a group of children had been taken hostage inside R A Studio, located in the Mahavir Classic building. The children, aged between 10 and 12, had been invited for an audition for a web series that had been ongoing for two days.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone X) Datta Nalawade said the force acted swiftly after receiving the call. “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,” Nalawade said.

Arya was pronounced dead at 5.15 pm.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan confirmed at 4.15 pm that all the children were safe. The operation, carried out by the Quick Response Team (QRT), lasted approximately 35 minutes once the final order to intervene was given.