In one of the most shocking incidents Mumbai has witnessed in recent years, a tense three-hour hostage situation unfolded on Thursday afternoon in the Powai area, when a 50-year-old man named Rohit Arya took 17 children hostage inside a studio. What began as what parents believed to be a routine audition for a web series turned into a chilling standoff that tested the city’s law enforcement, exposed a man’s descent into desperation, and revealed a carefully engineered plan that only narrowly failed due to police ingenuity.

According to investigators, Arya’s plan was weeks in the making. He had rented RA Studio, located in the Mahavir Classic building in Powai, four days before the incident under the pretext of organizing auditions for young actors. Parents of boys and girls aged between 10 and 15 were invited to bring their children for what was described as a “routine acting test.” Unknown to them, the studio had been converted into a trap. Over the next few days, Arya installed motion sensors, surveillance devices, and barricades designed to alert him to any movement or police intrusion.

A Meticulously Planned Trap

Police later found that Arya had placed motion detectors strategically throughout the studio. Each sensor was linked to his mobile phone, giving him live updates if anyone approached the premises. This allowed him to monitor the building’s front entrance and surrounding areas, making any straightforward rescue attempt almost impossible. He also possessed an airgun and carried a flammable spray, both of which he used to threaten the children and police.

Authorities say Arya’s preparations began on Monday, when he started setting up the devices while conducting mock auditions. His behavior seemed ordinary to outsiders, but by Thursday afternoon, the true nature of his plan became evident.

The Crisis Unfolds

At around 1:00 pm, parents waiting outside the building began to grow anxious when their children did not return for lunch. Calls to Arya went unanswered. Within minutes, residents in an adjacent building noticed a disturbing sight—several children crying and waving frantically for help through the glass windows of the studio. Alarmed residents alerted the authorities, and by 1:30 pm, a distress call had reached Powai police station.

Soon after, multiple teams from the Mumbai Police, including the Quick Response Team (QRT), bomb squad, and fire brigade, rushed to the scene. The entire area was cordoned off as the scale of the situation became clear. Police negotiators attempted to make contact with Arya, who quickly issued threats. He warned that if officers tried to storm the building, he would set it ablaze.

Negotiations and a Video Message

As the standoff intensified, Arya made a series of unusual demands. He insisted that a senior police inspector speak to him face-to-face through a transparent plastic barrier and that the officer must stay within his line of sight throughout the conversation. He warned that if the officer moved out of view, he would end negotiations immediately.

During these tense exchanges, Arya recorded and released a video message to the media and authorities. In the clip, he appeared calm and rational but deeply aggrieved. “I am not a terrorist,” he said. “I don’t have any immoral demands. Instead of dying by suicide, I have made some plans and taken these children hostage so that I can get answers from some people.”

He claimed that the Maharashtra education department owed him ₹2 crore for producing short films and awareness campaigns under the Majhi Shala, Sundar Shala initiative, a cleanliness and educational program initiated during Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s tenure. Arya alleged that despite repeated assurances and follow-ups, he had not received payment for his work.

A Troubled Past and a Growing Grievance

Police sources confirmed that Arya had a history of disputes with government departments over unpaid bills. In the past, he had protested outside the residence of former education minister Deepak Kesarkar and even at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, demanding the release of his dues. During one such protest in Pune last year, he reportedly suffered an epileptic seizure and had to be hospitalized.

Those who knew Arya described him as a filmmaker and small-time producer who had once worked on social campaigns for the government. But in recent years, financial distress and frustration with bureaucratic delays had taken a toll on his mental health. Friends claimed he felt betrayed and abandoned by the very system he had once worked for. The hostage incident, investigators now believe, was a desperate attempt to draw attention to his plight.

The Police Counterattack

While Arya continued negotiations, Mumbai Police officers quietly developed a parallel rescue plan. Their objective was to neutralize Arya without endangering the children. By around 2:45 pm, the situation had reached a breaking point. The children, visible through the glass windows, were crying and pleading for help. Arya’s threats grew more severe as he waved the airgun and a can of flammable liquid.

A senior officer decided to use a diversion strategy. As one team continued negotiations from the front, two other teams, assisted by the fire brigade, began moving through the building’s rear ducts. Investigators later said Arya’s biggest mistake was his ignorance of a rear entry point that connected to a bathroom vent. One team carefully cut through a glass wall from the side, while another entered through the vent using specialized equipment.

The operation, conducted in silence, required precise timing. At approximately 4:30 pm, after multiple failed attempts to convince Arya to surrender, the police made their final move. Arya reportedly raised his airgun toward one of the hostages, prompting officer Amol Waghmare from the Powai anti-terrorist cell to take a decisive shot. The bullet struck Arya in the chest, ending the standoff.

The Aftermath

Arya was immediately rushed to the Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. The 17 children and two adults held inside the studio were safely rescued. Medical teams at Seven Hills Hospital examined all the survivors, and they were discharged in the evening after being declared physically unharmed.

Police officials later praised the swift and coordinated response of the teams involved. “It was a tense three-hour operation where every second mattered,” a senior officer said. “Our top priority was to ensure the safety of the children, and we managed to bring them out unharmed.”

The Timeline of Events

1:00 pm: Parents outside RA Studio become anxious when children fail to return from the auditions.
1:30 pm: Powai police receive a distress call about a possible hostage situation.
1:45 pm: The QRT, bomb squad, and fire brigade arrive. Negotiations begin with the captor, identified as Rohit Arya.
2:15 pm: Arya releases a video message demanding ₹2 crore allegedly owed to him by the Maharashtra education department.
2:45 pm: Children are seen crying through the windows; Arya threatens to set the studio on fire if anyone enters.
3:15 pm: Police teams secretly begin infiltration using duct lines and rear vents.
4:30 pm: Arya refuses to surrender; officer Amol Waghmare fires a single bullet, hitting Arya in the chest.
4:45 pm: All hostages are rescued safely; Arya is taken to the hospital and declared dead.

A Crisis That Raises Difficult Questions

The incident has reignited discussions about mental health, financial accountability, and the treatment of small contractors who work with government agencies. Arya’s actions were criminal and reckless, but they stemmed from a deep sense of grievance and despair. Authorities are now examining his claims about the unpaid ₹2 crore to verify whether administrative delays may have contributed to his breakdown.

For the parents and children caught in the ordeal, the day will remain etched in memory—a chilling reminder of how personal despair can spiral into public danger. For the police, it was a test of strategy, restraint, and courage under pressure. And for Mumbai, it was another day when the city stared at chaos but narrowly escaped tragedy.