MUMBAI: Chaos unfolded in Mumbai's Powai area on Thursday after 17 children and two adults were held hostage by a man inside a studio for well over two hours.
In the crossfire that occurred during a rescue operation, the man who had taken several children hostage was killed. The accused, identified as Rohit Arya, allegedly attempted to open fire, prompting police to retaliate. A bullet hit Arya in the chest, resulting in his death.
The police successfully rescued 17 students and two adults who had been held hostage by Arya at a studio located in the Mahavir Classic building in Powai, Mumbai.
The police engaged the suspect in conversation, while some officers used the toilet passage to enter the studio and rescue the students. The fire brigade also assisted the police in freeing the children held hostage.
According to police, the hostages were confined for over two hours before officers stormed the premises. The team seized an air gun, chemicals, and other materials from the suspect.
Preliminary investigation suggests that Arya staged the hostage drama to draw attention to a dispute over unpaid government-related work. Police sources said he and his associates had undertaken a government project but were not paid their dues, leading him to orchestrate the incident to gain publicity.
The rescued children, aged 13 to 17, were handed over safely to their parents and guardians after medical check-ups.
The police stated that the motive behind the hostage situation was to draw attention to the suspect’s pending payment issues with the state government’s education department. The suspect and his associates had undertaken government work for which their dues had not been paid. In order to gain the attention of the public and the authorities, Rohit Arya orchestrated this hostage drama.
In a video statement, Rohit Arya said: I am Rohit Arya. Instead of committing suicide, I made this plan and held some children hostage. My demands are few and very simple. I am not a terrorist, nor am I demanding money. I have taken the children only for the sake of dialogue. I am not alone; there are others with me. I want a solution to our problem through discussion.”
The rescued children were later handed over to their respective parents and guardians. The children, aged between 13 and 17 years, had come to Powai for an audition and advertisement shoot from different parts of the state. The rescue operation was carried out by Powai and Sakinaka police after they received a distress call at around 1:45 p.m.
According to reports, more than 100 children had initially arrived for auditions for the Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah TV series. The accused shortlisted 20 children and confined them in one room, while the remaining 80 were sent home. To keep the children calm and comfortable during the hostage situation, the accused offered them pizza and cold drinks. The children were held for over three hours, between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
"All the children are safe," said joint commissioner of police Satyanarayan.
