Panic gripped Mumbai’s Powai area on Thursday after a man, identified as Rohit Arya, allegedly took 19 people hostage — including 17 children, a senior citizen, and another man — inside a flat at RA Studio.
A tense hostage situation unfolded when Arya, who was reportedly mentally unstable, locked the victims inside the studio. Police launched a swift rescue operation, safely freeing all hostages after an intense, hour-long standoff.
According to Powai Police Senior Inspector Jeevan Sonawane, the accused died during the rescue operation. Authorities said Arya had demanded to speak with former Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar over grievances he claimed to have with the department.
According to media reports, the incident occurred at RA Studio, located near the L&T building. Preliminary information suggests the children had been called to the studio for an ‘audition.’
Station Officer Abhijit Sonawane of the Mumbai Fire Brigade said they received an alert from the police about the incident around 3 p.m. The situation prompted a large joint operation by the Mumbai Police and Fire Brigade that lasted for about an hour.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan said the accused was armed with a weapon that “looked like a gun.” Senior Inspector Jeevan Sonawane added that Arya appeared to be mentally unstable and was taken into custody immediately after all the children were rescued.
The Mumbai Police later confirmed that Arya had released a video, believed to have been recorded during the hostage situation.
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