Mumbai hostage crisis: 3-hour siege, 16 children, duct pipe rescue | In photos

Several students, aged between 12 and 15, had been called to a RA studio in Powai on pretext of an audition and were held hostage for hours by a manp.

Published on: Oct 31, 2025 5:30 PM IST

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An alarming situation played out in Mumbai Thursday, as 17 children were held hostage in Mumbai's Powai area. (HT Photo)

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The students, aged between 12 and 15, had been called to the RA Studio in Mahavir Classic for an audition. (HT Photo)

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They were then held hostage for about three-and-a-half hours by a man identified as Rohit Arya (50), who was carrying an airgun and an inflammable spray. (HT Photo)

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When he children did not step out of lunch, their waiting parents grew anxious. (HT Photo)

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Meanwhile, people in the adjacent building spotted some children crying through glass windows of the building, and alerted the police. (HT Photo)

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Police teams, along with the Quick Response Team, bomb squad, and Fire Brigade, rushed to the scene. (HT Photo)

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Arya released a video saying he did not intend to hurt the children, but wanted to speak to people to help him recover ₹2 crore that the Maharashtra education department allegedly owed him. (HT Photo)

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After his refusals to surrender, two police teams climbed the building's duct line with the fire brigade's assistance. (HT Photo)

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A single round was fired at Arya, while the children were rescued safely. The accused later succumbed to his injury. (HT Photo)

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The police have recovered an air gun, a lighter and inflammable rubber solution from the scene, all of which have been sent to the forensics team for examination. (HT Photo)