A day after Rohit Arya, the accused behind Mumbai hostage ordeal, was shot dead by police, following a three-hour long ordeal, a local actor shared a chilling revelation about how she could also have become part of the horrific event.
Ruchita Vijay Jadhav, a Mumbai-based actor, took to Instagram to share that Arya had reached out to her earlier this month, claiming he wanted to discuss a "film project."
The shocking part was that the project was reportedly about a hostage situation, Jadhav added.
Also Read: Mumbai hostage-taker’s high-tech trap: Motion sensors, cameras, and a failed face-off with police
In her post, Jadhav said Rohit Arya first contacted her on October 4 and later asked to meet on October 23. He gave her three potential dates starting October 27. Jadhav initially confirmed October 28 but cancelled due to a family commitment.
The woman also added screenshots of his conversation with Rohit Arya on her Instagram stories, where he called her to discuss a film project.
{{/usCountry}}The woman also added screenshots of his conversation with Rohit Arya on her Instagram stories, where he called her to discuss a film project.
{{/usCountry}}“Hi everyone, I want to share something very personal that has shaken me deeply. On 4th October, I was contacted by someone named Rohit Arya regarding a film project. The subject he described was about a hostage situation. As an actor, I agreed to hear more,” Ruchita wrote on her Instagram stories.
"On 23rd October, he asked if we could meet on 27th, 28th, or 29th, and I confirmed I could meet on the 28th. On 27th October, he sent me the details - including the location of a studio in Powai - and asked if we could meet the next day," the post read.
She added that she cancelled the meeting due to an unavoidable family commitment.
Also Read: 5 facts about Rohit Arya, the man behind Mumbai hostage ordeal
"Today, 31st October, when I saw the terrifying incident in the news - involving this same person - I felt a chill. I can't stop thinking about how close I came to being there. I'm feeling incredibly grateful to God and to my family, and I genuinely believe someone up there was protecting me. This has reminded me - and I hope it reminds you too - that we need to be extremely careful when meeting new people for work, no matter how normal things appear," she added.
Mumbai hostage situation, accused shot dead
On Thursday afternoon in Mumbai, a 50-year-old man identified as Rohit Arya managed to keep the police at bay while keeping 17 children hostage inside a Powai studio.
Though he failed when the bullet from officer Amol Waghmare's gun hit him in the chest, the stunt that he pulled off had been meticulously planned days in advance.
A police reconstruction of events revealed that Arya had precisely planned the hostage situation, installing motion sensors and other devices in the studio before he invited boys and girls aged between 10 and 15 years for a fake audition.
While negotiations were underway, Arya released a video message, speaking in a calm tone and asserting that he was not a criminal.
“I am not a terrorist. I don’t have any immoral demands,” Arya said in the clip. “Instead of dying by suicide, I have made some plans and taken these children hostage so that I can get answers from some people.