Mumbai | Mumbai police rescued nineteen people including seventeen children from a studio in the Powai area after a tense hostage situation that lasted for about an hour. The man who held them captive, identified as Rohit Arya, suffered bullet injuries during the operation and later died in hospital.
According to officials, Arya had called several boys and girls aged around fifteen to a local studio under the pretext of holding auditions for a web series. During the incident, he carried an air gun and some chemical substances. Joint Commissioner of Police Satyanaranyan Choudhary confirmed that all children were rescued safely.
Police received an emergency call around 1:45 pm reporting that a man had confined children inside R A Studio located in the Mahavir Classic building.
Teams from the Powai police station, Quick Response Team, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, and the fire department quickly reached the spot to handle the crisis.
Before the rescue, Arya posted a video online claiming that he wanted to talk to certain people and did not intend to ask for money. He also threatened to set the studio on fire if his demands were ignored.
When negotiations failed, officers entered the premises through a bathroom and managed to rescue all hostages including a senior citizen and another man.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade described the situation as highly sensitive, emphasizing that saving the children was the top priority. He noted that officers handled the situation with extreme caution to prevent harm to any of the hostages.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that the state government would release further details soon and praised the police team for their swift and effective action.
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