Man holds 17 kids hostage in Powai studio; Mumbai police rescue all...

“I am not a terrorist. I only want to talk to some people. The slightest wrong move from your end may trigger me to set this whole place on fire... whether I die or not, the children will be unnecessarily hurt, traumatised for sure”’ In the video, Arya said he had chosen to hold children hostage instead of committing suicide, suggesting that he wanted to draw attention to certain grievances.

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He added cryptically that “a lot of people have these problems” and that he wanted to offer “a solution through talks”.

Police officials said Arya was armed with an air gun, a lighter, and chemicals, which raised fears that he could cause a fire or explosion. As negotiators tried to talk him down, anxious parents waited outside the ten-storey building while police cordoned off the area and evacuated nearby floors.

‘The police first attempted to negotiate with Arya for nearly two hours. “It was a challenging operation because we were negotiating with him without any positive outcome. To save the children’s lives was our priority” DCP Nalawade said. When talks failed and Arya became increasingly agitated, threatening to burn the children alive if his demands were not met, senior officers decided to act. The QRT team of eight commandos entered the studio through a bathroom window on the

First floor, using a ladder provided by the fire brigade to maintain the element of surprise.

‘According to officials, Arya fired at the police as soon as they entered, using what appeared to bea real firearm. “We were not in a position to take any chance,” a senior officer said. The commandos immediately retaliated, and Arya was shot during the exchange. Only later was it confirmed that his gun was an air gun.