Police deployed outside the RA studio in Powai where a man, identified as Rohit Arya, was holding several children hostage. He was later shot dead during a rescue operation in Mumbai | Photo credit: ANI
Social activist and advocate Nitin Satpute is set to move the Bombay High Court seeking an independent probe into the death of Rohit Arya, who was killed by police on Thursday while allegedly holding school children hostage.
On Friday (October 31, 2025), Satpute wrote to the Chief Justice of India, the Bombay Chief Justice, the Human Rights Commission, the Director General of Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation, calling the incident a “fake encounter” and accusing the state government of endangering lives to cover up administrative failures.
In his letter, Satpute claimed that Arya was driven to despair because the Maharashtra state government owed him ₹2 million. “The meeting was done to cover up the failure of the state police machinery under pressure. Why was Rohit shot in the chest and not in the legs? The government is solely responsible for the abduction of 19 minors and two adults,” he wrote.
Arya, who headed Apsara Media Entertainment Network, implemented the Swachhta Monitor initiative under the Education Ministry’s ‘Majhi Shala, Sundar Shala’ scheme. According to a government resolution dated January 25, 2024, more than 64,000 schools and 59,000 students have joined the Arya project. Despite initial approvals and partial payments, the second phase of the initiative was put on hold and Arya’s proposal of ₹2.41 crore remained under consideration.
School Education Minister Dada Bhuse confirmed that a report on Arya’s work had been requested. Former minister Deepak Kesarkar admitted to offering financial help to Arya after he staged protests against non-payment, including hunger strikes in Nagpur, Azad Majdan and outside the minister’s residence.
A final act of desperation
Arya’s final act, holding the children hostage in the studio, was reportedly a desperate attempt to get the government to release his fees. He originally planned to die by suicide, but later changed course in hopes that the hostage situation would draw attention to his plight. The incident has drawn comparisons to the movie Thursday, where a teacher holds children hostage to demand justice, the paper said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi condemned Arya’s actions but questioned the government’s role in pushing him to the brink. “He had unpaid dues for several months and staged several protests. The government must explain why it ignored his repeated pleas,” she said.
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar highlighted the wider issue of unpaid invoices from suppliers, claiming that more than ₹80,000 crore was pending. “Are we waiting for the suppliers to take extreme steps and then come down on us?” he asked.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar questioned the government’s decision to give Arya a key role despite claims of mental illness. “If he was mentally ill, why was he appointed as cleanliness monitor? The government must take responsibility,” he said.
Satpute demanded that the officers involved in the clash, Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalavalde, Senior Superintendent of Police Jitendra Sonawane and Assistant Superintendent of Police Amol Waghmare, be charged with murder. “The police lacked the training to capture him alive. They acted to gain popularity, imitating encounter specialists like Sharma, Naik, Salaskar, Angre and Bhosle,” he alleged.
The petition is expected to be filed next week.
Published – 01 Nov 2025 02:40 IST
