Mumbai witnessed high drama on Thursday afternoon when Rohit Arya, aged 50, held 17 children hostage inside a studio in Powai. He kept police at bay for almost three hours. The standoff ended only after officer Amol Waghmare fired a single bullet that hit Arya in the chest.

Investigations later revealed that Arya had carefully planned the act several days earlier. He had rented the studio four days before the incident and prepared it with motion sensors and other devices. He invited boys and girls aged 10 to 15 for what he claimed was a “web series audition.”

The Hostage Situation Begins

According to police, the crisis began around 1:30 pm after a distress call came from RA Studio, located in Mahavir Classic, a commercial and residential complex in Powai.

By 1 pm, parents waiting outside were already anxious when their children didn’t return for lunch. Soon, residents in a nearby building saw children crying through glass windows and calling for help. They immediately alerted the police.

Within minutes, teams from the Quick Response Team (QRT), bomb squad, and fire brigade reached the site. The rescue mission lasted nearly three and a half hours.

Arya’s Meticulous Preparation

Police said Arya had warned them not to enter the premises and threatened to set the studio on fire if they tried to break in.

An officer told The Indian Express that Arya had been preparing for the incident for days. “We found that he had installed motion sensors in the past few days when the ‘auditions’ were being held, as he was preparing for Thursday,” the officer said.

Arya had linked the sensors to his mobile phone, allowing him to detect any movement. This setup made it hard for rescuers to approach from the front. However, police later discovered a rear entry that Arya didn’t know about, which became their key advantage.

Police Make a Breakthrough

As the standoff continued, police adopted a two-pronged plan. While one team engaged Arya in conversation, two other teams quietly climbed into the building through duct lines with help from the fire brigade.

One team cut through a glass wall, and another entered through a bathroom vent, using the rear access point. A senior officer described the mission as “swift but delicate.”

“It was a tense three-hour operation where every second mattered. Our top priority was to ensure the safety of the children, and we managed to bring them out unharmed,” the officer said.

When Arya refused to surrender and threatened to harm the children, officer Amol Waghmare from the anti-terrorist cell fired one shot, hitting Arya in the chest.

Arya’s Demands During Negotiations

During the early talks, Arya demanded to speak directly to a senior inspector. He insisted on speaking through a transparent barrier and warned that he would stop negotiating if the officer moved out of his view.

While discussions were ongoing, Arya released a video message where he claimed he was not a criminal. “I am not a terrorist… I don’t have any immoral demands,” he said calmly.

He added, “Instead of dying by suicide, I have made some plans and taken these children hostage so that I can get answers from some people.”

Arya alleged that the Maharashtra education department owed him ₹2 crore for making short films and cleanliness campaigns under the Majhi Shala, Sundar Shala initiative.

History of Protests and Financial Dispute

Police sources told Hindustan Times that Arya had worked on government projects during Eknath Shinde’s tenure as chief minister. He had repeatedly protested for his pending payment.

Arya had earlier staged protests outside the bungalow of former education minister Deepak Kesarkar and later at Azad Maidan. During a protest in Pune last year, he reportedly suffered an epileptic seizure.

The End of the Standoff

After being shot, Arya was rushed to Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

All 17 children and two adults were safely rescued and taken to Seven Hills Hospital for medical checks. They were discharged later in the evening.

Timeline of the Powai Hostage Crisis

1:30 pm: Powai police receive a distress call about children held hostage inside RA Studio.
1:45 pm: QRT, bomb squad, and fire brigade teams arrive. Negotiations begin with Rohit Arya.
2:15 pm: Arya releases a video claiming he took hostages to demand ₹2 crore owed by the education department.
2:45 pm: Police see children crying behind glass windows. Arya threatens to set the studio on fire.
3:15 pm: Two police teams climb through duct lines; one cuts a glass wall, another enters via a vent.
4:30 pm: Arya refuses to surrender; police fire one bullet, hitting him in the chest.
4:45 pm: All children rescued safely. Arya declared dead at hospital.