Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS): A tense hostage situation at R.A. Studio in Mumbai’s Powai ended dramatically on Thursday when police shot dead a man who had confined 20 children using an air gun. The deceased, identified as Rohit Arya, a social media channel owner, was killed after sustaining bullet injuries during a police operation.
According to officials, Arya had lured the children to the studio under the pretext of conducting acting auditions. Once inside, he locked the premises and recorded videos demanding to speak to certain individuals, threatening to set the building and the hostages on fire if his demands were not met.
The ordeal lasted for about 30 minutes before police intervened. The situation came to light when some of the trapped children managed to signal passersby through the windows, prompting an immediate response from local authorities.
Senior police officers, suspecting Arya to be mentally unstable, initially tried to negotiate with him. However, after he refused to surrender, a police team stormed the studio and shot him to neutralize the threat. Arya was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to excessive bleeding. The weapon he carried was later identified as an air gun.
“All children have been safely rescued, and there are no casualties among the hostages,” confirmed a senior police official.
The incident caused widespread panic in the Powai area, leading to the evacuation of nearby buildings. A Quick Reaction Team (QRT) was deployed amid fears of a possible terror link.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Arya had been organizing auditions for several days and had deliberately asked around 20 children to stay back on Thursday, indicating that the act was premeditated.
Police have launched a detailed probe into Arya’s motives and mental health background.
