Mumbai Police on Thursday rescued 19 people, including 17 children, from a studio in the Powai area, while the man holding them hostage succumbed to gunshot wounds he sustained during the operation, officials said.
Rohit Arya, 50, who posted a video saying he wanted to “ask some people a question” during the roughly hour-long hostage standoff, was shot dead by police after he tried to threaten the children with an air gun and later died in hospital, officials said, PTI reported.
Read also | ‘Non-terrorist’: Who was Rohit Arya, the man who held 17 children captive in Mumbai?
“Around 1:30 p.m., Powai police station received information that a person had taken 17 children hostage in the Mahavir Classic building. The Mumbai Police team conducted a rescue operation and freed all the children safely. During the operation, while rescuing the children, the person was injured and was immediately rushed to the hospital and later declared brought dead,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Data Nalawade said.
Mumbai: People gather at the site where 19 people, including 17 children, were rescued from a studio in Powai area while the man holding them hostage succumbed to gunshot wounds during an operation in Mumbai, Thursday, October 30, 2025. (PTI Photo) (PTI10_30_20506B0)
“All the children are safe,” said Satyanaranyan, joint commissioner of police (law and order).
“Arya had an airgun”
Arya invited children – boys and girls around 15 – to audition for the web series. The auditions were going on for the last two days, police said.
In addition to the air rifle, he had some chemicals with him, they added. Police initially did not mention that there was any shooting during the operation. Arya was pronounced dead at 5:15 p.m., officials said.
iMumbai, India – October 30, 2025: Police rescue a hostage and send a school bus to Seven Hill Hospital. Rohit Arya, the man accused of taking 17 children hostage in the Powai area of Mumbai on Thursday, died after being wounded in a shootout with police in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, October 20, 25, 30. Hindustan Times)
After receiving a call about a man holding children hostage inside RA Studio in Mahavir Classic building, Powai police along with Quick Response Team (QRT), Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and fire brigade team reached the spot, DCP Nalawade said.
Read also | Rohit Arya, man who held 17 children hostage, shot dead by Mumbai police
Before the police entered the studio, Arya posted a video that went viral on social media.
“I am Rohit Arya. Instead of (committing) suicide, I made a plan and took some children hostage….I have very simple demands. Very moral, ethical demands. I have some questions. I want to talk to some people and in their answers, if there are any counter-questions, I want to ask them. But I want these answers. I don’t want anything else, I don’t want anything else, I don’t want to make money. I don’t require any simple conversation,” he said.
“The slightest wrong move from your end can make me set this whole place on fire…whether I die or not, kids will be needlessly hurt, traumatized for sure…I shouldn’t be responsible for that,” he said.
After the “conversations,” he would leave the room, Arya said, adding that “a lot of people have these problems,” and he would offer solutions through the conversations, without specifying what problems he was talking about. DCP Nalawade said the police tried to negotiate with him, but as the talks did not lead to any progress, the police team entered the studio through the bathroom.
Firefighters provided police with a ladder to climb to a first-floor window.
Seventeen children, a senior citizen and another man were rescued, Nalawade said.
“It was a difficult operation because we negotiated with him without a positive result… Our priority was to save the lives of the children,” he said.
It was a challenging operation as we negotiated with him without a positive outcome….Our priority was to save the lives of the children.
When asked by reporters about the Amravati incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said details would be shared soon.
Key things
- Crisis negotiations can be complex and fraught with danger, requiring careful planning and execution.
- Hostage situations often stem from deeper personal issues and societal pressures, highlighting the need for mental health support.
- Victim safety is paramount in any hostage situation and guides law enforcement actions.
