Published on: October 31, 2025 | Mumbai

Just a day after Mumbai Police shot dead Rohit Arya, ending a tense three-hour hostage situation at a Powai studio, those who knew him in Mumbai and Pune are struggling to reconcile the violent turn of events with the man they remembered as “calm and composed.” Arya, 50, had taken 17 children hostage at RA Studio in the Mahavir Classic building on Thursday, reportedly using an air gun and an inflammable spray, before being fatally shot by the police. The children were all rescued unharmed.

The shocking incident, which unfolded in broad daylight, has since raised difficult questions—about Arya’s alleged financial grievances against the government, his deteriorating mental state, and the circumstances that pushed him toward such a desperate act.

A Man Driven by Desperation

According to his wife, Anjali Arya, Rohit had been under immense pressure for months due to unpaid dues from a government project he claimed to have completed. “He was heading the PLC Swachhta Monitor project. Kesarkar saheb had appreciated it and said the government would sanction ₹2 crore for implementation. The work was completed, but Rohit never received the payment, not even formal recognition,” she said, speaking to reporters after the tragedy.

Anjali added that her husband was deeply frustrated by what he perceived as bureaucratic apathy and corruption. “He kept visiting government offices, making calls, sending letters, but no one listened. He was not a violent man; he was desperate,” she said tearfully.

According to her, Rohit had even spoken about legal options but lacked the financial means to pursue them. “He believed in his work and wanted justice. That’s all he wanted,” she said.

The Hostage Drama in Powai

The incident began on Thursday afternoon when Rohit Arya reportedly invited a group of 17 children to RA Studio under the pretext of holding an audition. Once inside, he locked the doors and barricaded the room, threatening to harm himself if his demands were not met.

Witnesses described a tense standoff that lasted over three hours, during which police negotiators tried to convince him to surrender peacefully. Arya, who carried an air gun and a can of inflammable spray, released a video message from inside the studio declaring that he did not intend to harm anyone.

In the video, Arya can be heard saying:

“My demands are simple, moral, and ethical. I am not a terrorist. I have no monetary demands that are immoral. I only want justice for the ₹2 crore payment owed to me.”

He claimed that he had worked as Project Director for the “Project Let’s Change – PLC Swachhata Monitor,” which was launched in 2022 by the Maharashtra Primary Education Department under the Majhi Shala, Sundar Shalainitiative—a state campaign promoting clean and attractive school environments.

Arya insisted that despite completing the project, he had never been paid or officially acknowledged.

Police Intervention and Fatal End

As the situation escalated, the Mumbai Police’s Quick Response Team (QRT) surrounded the studio. Officers attempted negotiations but grew concerned about the safety of the children as Arya’s behavior became increasingly erratic. After hours of failed talks, police stormed the premises.

Arya was shot and later succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital. All 17 children were rescued without harm.

A senior officer who participated in the operation said, “He appeared emotionally disturbed but not violent toward the children. He spoke about injustice and corruption. We tried to engage with him for hours, but when he threatened to ignite the spray, we had to act.”

A “Calm and Composed” Man

For those who knew Rohit Arya personally, the news was nearly impossible to believe. “He was always calm and composed,” said a former neighbour in Pune, where Arya lived until about a year ago. “He used to talk like any normal person. There was nothing unusual about him. I cannot believe he did something like this.”

According to a report in The Indian Express, Arya had previously operated a small café in Pune, Jelly’s Café, which shut down a few months ago due to financial struggles. “I was not aware of the news. We only exchanged greetings whenever he passed by. He was quiet, polite, and friendly,” said a shopkeeper near the old café.

Another shopkeeper recalled that Arya had once mentioned traveling to Mumbai to participate in a protest, though he did not specify the reason. “He said something about fighting for justice and government payment. But I didn’t think it was serious,” the shopkeeper told the paper.

A resident from Arya’s former apartment building added, “He was a soft-spoken man. We never saw him angry or agitated. I doubt the version being circulated publicly. There must be more to the story.”

The ₹2 Crore Dispute

Arya’s alleged ₹2 crore unpaid dues remain at the center of the controversy. He maintained until the end that the government owed him the money for the Swachhata Monitor project.

Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar, who served as Maharashtra’s School Education Minister from 2022 to 2024, confirmed that Arya had indeed worked on a cleanliness awareness project but denied that any official payment was pending.

“During my tenure, I had asked him to conduct a pilot for the Swachhata Monitor project,” Kesarkar said. “Last year, I even gave him some money personally after he complained that the education department was withholding his payment. There was no official due at that time.”

Police officials, however, confirmed that Arya had been protesting repeatedly outside Kesarkar’s residence and at Azad Maidan between July and October 2024, demanding payment and official recognition.

“He was fixated on the issue,” a police officer involved in the investigation said. “He would often show up with placards, pamphlets, and documentation. He felt cheated. We believe this prolonged frustration led him to plan Thursday’s act.”

A Life Spiraling Downward

Friends and acquaintances from Pune describe Arya as an educated, middle-class professional who once had high ambitions. He reportedly held a postgraduate degree and had been deeply involved in environmental and cleanliness awareness campaigns.

However, his personal and financial troubles appeared to worsen over the past year. The closure of his café, combined with the alleged non-payment of project dues, pushed him into financial distress.

“He had been struggling to make ends meet,” said a family friend. “He was passionate about social causes, but he couldn’t find stable work. The government project was his last big hope. When that fell through, something inside him broke.”

Aftermath and Investigation

Following the hostage crisis, Mumbai Police have launched a full inquiry into Arya’s death, the authenticity of his financial claims, and the sequence of events that led to the standoff. Authorities are reviewing documents related to the PLC Swachhata Monitor project, financial transactions, and correspondence between Arya and the education department.

Meanwhile, psychological experts have pointed out that Arya’s case highlights the mental health toll of bureaucratic neglect and financial stress, particularly on individuals involved in independent or government-linked work. “Desperation can lead to extreme measures when people feel unheard or betrayed by the system,” one psychologist noted.

The children who were taken hostage have been offered counseling by local NGOs and the Maharashtra Child Welfare Department. Police said all of them were “physically unharmed but emotionally shaken.”

A Family Left in Shock

At Arya’s residence, his wife Anjali and other family members are still grappling with grief and disbelief. “He was not a criminal. He was fighting for what he thought was right,” she said. “If the system had listened to him earlier, this tragedy would not have happened.”

Neighbors and acquaintances continue to express confusion and sorrow. “He was calm, polite, and composed,” one of them repeated. “No one could have imagined he would end like this.”

As Mumbai comes to terms with the chilling hostage incident, the story of Rohit Arya—a man who once believed in civic reform but died in despair—serves as a grim reminder of how unaddressed grievances and systemic failures can push even the most composed individuals to the brink.