Mumbai hostage: Accused Rohit Arya shot dead, Crime Branch begins probe

Former Maharashtra School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar on Thursday said he had given financial help to Rohit Arya, who died in a police operation earlier in the day after taking 19 people hostage in the Powai area.

Senior Inspector Sonawane said that Arya had demanded to speak with former Maharashtra education minister Deepak Kesarkar, citing grievances he claimed to have with the department.

A team of Mumbai Police, including the Crime Branch, arrived at the hospital where the accused Rohit Arya was brought dead, as part of their investigation.

Rohit Arya had held a few children hostage earlier this evening, demanding that he be allowed to speak to a few people. The children were safely rescued by the Police and handed over to their parents/guardians.

Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad on Thursday said the hostage crisis in Powai, which ended after police freed 17 persons, was deeply disturbing and indicated deterioration in the city's law and order situation.

The Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai North Central hit out at the BJP-led Mahayuti government over the hostage episode that unfolded inside a studio in the afternoon, alleging its negligence put the lives of many children at risk.

Visuals from outside a Mumbai hospital show Rohit Arya, the man who held several children hostage earlier this evening, being brought in dead.

Arya had demanded to speak with certain individuals during the incident. All the children were safely rescued by police and later handed over to their parents and guardians.

The children, boys and girls around 15 years old, had been called for an 'audition', as per the preliminary information.

20 children held hostage by a man inside a studio in Mumbai's Powai area were safely rescued by police and fire brigade teams on Thursday, an official said

The Mumbai Fire Brigade received an emergency call from the police around 3 pm. Station Officer Abhijit Sonawane told HT, “We cut open the grills with our hydraulic tools and made access for the police. They entered inside and now all are rescued.”

The officials said they were conducting further verification before releasing additional details about Arya’s background and motives.

The accused Rohit Arya appeared to be mentally unstable and was immediately taken into custody after all the children were safely rescued, said Senior Inspector Jeevan Sonawane of Powai Police.

“All the children are safe and handed to their guardians. Other details will be shared after due verification,” he added.

Senior Inspector Sonawane said that the accused Rohit Arya had demanded to speak with former Maharashtra education minister Deepak Kesarkar, citing grievances he claimed to have with the department.

According to the Mumbai Police, Arya had released a video believed to have been recorded during the hostage situation, in which he claimed to have certain demands and said he wanted to speak with some individuals.

In the clip, he also threatened to “set everything on fire and harm himself and the children” if his demands were not met. Arya said he had taken the children hostage as part of a plan to have “a simple conversation,” though he did not clarify what his demands were or whom he wanted to speak to.

A man identified as Rohit Arya died on Thursday during the rescue operations after he held around 20 children hostage inside a studio in the Powai area of the city.

The incident prompted a massive joint operation by the Mumbai police and fire brigade that lasted for around an hour.

The Mumbai Police said that the accused had been identified as Rohit Arya and he was taken into custody. The police said that Arya seemed to be mentally unstable.

In a major security scare, 20 children were briefly held hostage in Mumbai's Powai area, leading to panic and prompting the authorities to launch a rescue operation.

The authorities said they received a call at around 3 pm and that 20 children were held hostage in the building. The Mumbai Fire Brigade launched a rescue operation, where they used hydraulic tools to cut open the grills and make way for the police. READ MORE

A mentally challenged man, Rohit Arya, has been detained after he took students hostage inside the studio, said Senior Inspector of Powai Police, Jeevan Sonawane.