An independent magisterial inquiry has been launched into the death of Rohit Arya, the 50-year-old social entrepreneur who was killed during a police rescue operation in Mumbai that freed 17 children and two adults he had held hostage inside a recording studio. The operation, which took place on October 30 at R A Studio in the Mahavir Classic building in the Powai area, lasted nearly four hours and ended with the safe rescue of all hostages and Arya’s death from a gunshot wound.

According to officials, the inquiry will be conducted independently of the Mumbai Police’s internal investigation by its Crime Branch, ensuring transparency and adherence to legal procedure. A senior officer confirmed that as per law and Supreme Court directives, every death occurring in police action must be followed by a magisterial inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding it.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Chaudhary confirmed the development on Monday, stating that the magistrate overseeing the probe will summon witnesses, record their statements, and prepare a detailed report for submission to the authorities.

“The magisterial inquiry is independent. The concerned magistrate will call witnesses, record statements, and submit a report,” Chaudhary said.

The Hostage Crisis: A Four-Hour Ordeal

The dramatic events of October 30 began around 1:30 PM, when Rohit Arya, who had gathered a group of children and two adults at R A Studio under the pretext of shooting a web series, suddenly locked the premises from inside. The incident quickly escalated into a full-blown hostage crisis, drawing massive police deployment and emergency response teams to the spot.

For nearly two hours, the police tried to negotiate with Arya, urging him to release the children and surrender peacefully. However, he allegedly refused to cooperate and began issuing threats to harm the captives. According to police officials, Arya was behaving erratically and appeared mentally unstable, at times shouting and demanding to speak to government officials regarding grievances over unpaid project dues.

By 3:30 PM, as the standoff intensified, police learned that Arya had access to inflammable materials and an air gun, raising fears of a potential fire or explosion. Realizing the immediate danger to the children, senior officers on site authorized a forced entry into the studio at approximately 5:00 PM.

Sequence of Events Leading to the Shooting

According to Joint Commissioner Chaudhary, the decision to enter the premises was made after all efforts to convince Arya failed. When the police breached the door, Arya allegedly fired his air gun toward the officers. In response, one police personnel fired a single retaliatory shot, which struck Arya.

“Arya shot his air gun, and one police personnel shot in retaliation,” said Chaudhary.

Arya was immediately subdued and rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. All hostages were rescued unharmed, though several were reported to be in a state of shock following the ordeal.

Dual Investigations Underway

The magisterial probe, now underway, will run parallel to the Crime Branch’s investigation into the hostage situation itself. While the Crime Branch will focus on the criminal aspects of Arya’s actions — including unlawful confinement, endangerment of minors, and use of hazardous materials — the magistrate’s inquiry will specifically examine whether the police operation adhered to legal standards and whether the use of force was justified under the circumstances.

Under Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), all police-involved shootings are automatically subjected to an independent magisterial review to ensure impartial scrutiny.

“The police personnel involved were well-trained to handle such hostage situations. Our priority throughout was the safety of the children and adults trapped inside,” Chaudhary emphasized.

Who Was Rohit Arya? The Troubled Mind Behind the Crisis

Rohit Arya, described as a social entrepreneur and activist, had previously worked on several education and cleanliness campaigns in Maharashtra. According to official records, he was the director of “Project Let’s Change”, which executed the Swachhta Monitor initiative between July 2023 and October 2023.

The project involved mobilizing 59 lakh students across 64,000 schools to act as cleanliness monitors and discourage spitting and littering in public places. However, Arya reportedly claimed that the Maharashtra School Education Department had failed to clear his project dues despite repeated follow-ups. A government resolution dated January 25, 2024, confirmed that Arya’s claims had been reviewed but rejected by the department.

This financial dispute, according to police sources, appears to have deeply affected Arya, leading to feelings of betrayal and disillusionment. He had staged several protests in the past year and was known to express frustration on social media about bureaucratic indifference toward social initiatives.

A Premeditated Plan Disguised as a Film Shoot

Police investigations reveal that Arya meticulously planned the hostage incident under the guise of a creative project. For nearly six days prior to the crisis, he had been conducting “auditions” for a supposed web series at the same studio. Children were invited daily at 10 a.m., given lunch breaks, and released by 8 p.m.

On October 30, however, things took a disturbing turn. The children did not come out for lunch as usual, triggering alarm among parents who had gathered outside. When repeated calls to Arya went unanswered, they alerted the police, setting off the rescue operation.

Police sources later discovered that Arya had recorded several videos before locking himself inside, in which he declared that he did not intend to harm anyone but wanted to make his grievances public. In one such video, he stated:

“I have very simple, moral, and ethical demands. I want to ask some questions. I am not a terrorist, nor do I want money. I just want to talk.”

Inside the Studio: Moments Before the Operation

According to Rohan Aher, Arya’s videographer and an eyewitness, Arya had initially asked him to bring petrol and firecrackers — a request Aher wisely ignored. Later, Arya reportedly ignited a rubber solution inside the studio, producing dense smoke and panic. Realizing the growing danger, Aher fled the building and alerted authorities, who immediately began the rescue operation.

When police stormed the premises, they found that Arya had barricaded the entrances and positioned the children in a corner. The scene was chaotic, with evidence of flammable materials scattered across the floor. Officers acted swiftly to neutralize the threat and extract the hostages.

Aftermath and Legal Follow-Up

Following Arya’s death, his body was sent for post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of death. Preliminary reports indicate that the bullet wound sustained during the police operation was fatal. However, the full autopsy and forensic analyses will be part of the magisterial investigation report.

Police officials have stated that Arya had been estranged from his family for several years and had lived an increasingly isolated life, focusing on social projects and grievances with government authorities. His family has yet to issue a formal statement on his death.

The magisterial inquiry, led by a local magistrate, will examine the timeline of the police response, witness testimonies, and the proportionality of the force used. Once complete, the report will be submitted to the Maharashtra Home Department and made part of the official record.

A Tragedy Rooted in Desperation

While the swift police response averted a potential mass tragedy, the death of Rohit Arya has sparked public debate over the intersection of mental health, activism, and administrative neglect. Many observers have called for introspection into how individuals like Arya — once seen as socially conscious citizens — can spiral into acts of desperation when faced with systemic frustration.

For now, Mumbai’s law enforcement stands by its actions, asserting that the rescue mission prioritized the safety of children above all else. As both the Crime Branch and the magistrate proceed with their respective probes, the case continues to unfold as a chilling reminder of how personal despair and bureaucratic deadlock can escalate into a life-threatening crisis.

The final magisterial report is expected to shed light on the exact sequence of events that led to Rohit Arya’s fatal encounter with the police — and whether every possible measure was taken to resolve the situation peacefully before it turned deadly.