An intense hostage crisis unfolded in Mumbai’s Powai on Thursday when 38-year-old Rohit Arya held 19 people, including 17 children, captive inside RA Studio. The incident began as a supposed acting audition and spiraled into a terrifying two-hour standoff.
A 75-year-old grandmother was among the hostages.
The situation ended when police commandos neutralized Rohit Arya, who allegedly fired at them. He was rushed to hospital but succumbed to his injuries soon after. All the hostages were rescued unharmed after medical evaluation.
“Regardless of his demands, we couldn’t let him play with people’s lives. He fired first at police. Our team fired back in self-defence,” said Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti.
How the Hostage Crisis Unfolded
The alarm was raised at 1:45 pm after anxious parents called police when their children didn’t return home from an audition. Soon, Powai’s Mahavir Classik area swarmed with police vans, ambulances, and fire engines.
Negotiations went on for nearly two hours as Arya threatened to set the studio on fire.
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When talks broke down, an eight-member Quick Reaction Team (QRT) entered through a bathroom window, preserving the element of surprise. Within 35 minutes, all hostages were rescued safely.
Who Was Rohit Arya?
Rohit Arya described himself as an acting coach and motivational speaker. He ran workshops and auditions at RA Studio and also managed a YouTube channel. Police said Arya had previously worked on a school project linked to the Maharashtra Education Department, during Deepak Kesarkar’s tenure as minister.
Sources indicate Arya grew resentful after not receiving payments for his work. He had earlier staged protests outside Kesarkar’s home, alleging government apathy.
What Motivated the Hostage Drama
Arya’s wife, Anjali Arya, told reporters her husband was distraught over unpaid dues and denial of credit for his Swacchta Monitor project, which he claimed the state copied as “Majhi Shala, Sundar Shala.”
In a video recorded before the standoff, Arya insisted he was “not a terrorist” and that his demands were “moral and ethical.”
“I don’t have many demands—very simple, moral, and ethical ones. Any wrong move, and I will set everything on fire,” he warned in the chilling clip.
How Police Commandos Ended the Crisis
When all negotiations failed, commandos stormed the studio through the bathroom access point. Armed with what appeared to be a gun, chemicals, and a lighter, Arya fired at the team. Police retaliated, injuring him fatally.
By 5 pm, all 19 hostages were evacuated safely. Forensic teams later recovered an air gun, chemicals, and a lighter from the scene.
Authorities have ordered a magisterial probe into the incident to examine the exact sequence of events and the justification of police action. The tragedy has also raised questions about mental health awareness, government accountability, and the need for better public safety measures in urban centers like Mumbai.
