Man who held 17 children hostage during ‘audition’ in Mumbai shot dead in police encounter

Kidnapper (right) (Credits : The New Indian Express)

Mumbai – Panic gripped Powai after a man held 17 children hostage inside R A Studio located in the Mahavir Classic building under the pretext of conducting ‘auditions’. The Mumbai Police rescued all the children safely, while the accused, identified as Rohit Arya, was shot dead in an encounter.

According to reports, around 100 children had been visiting the studio every day for the past six days between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., with promises of getting roles in films. More than 15 of them were minors. On the day of the incident, when the children were not allowed to leave for lunch, anxious parents waiting outside began to worry.

Credits : Free Press Journal

Seeing the frightened children peering out of the windows, several parents gathered near the building and alerted the police. The situation escalated when Rohit released a video threatening to set the studio on fire if his demands were not heard. He also claimed that others were involved in the plot.

Acting swiftly, police entered the studio through a washroom access point. The accused, armed with an air gun, opened fire, prompting police retaliation. Rohit sustained a bullet injury on his left side and was taken to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Credits : Free Press Journal

During the search, police found several chemical substances inside the studio.

Sources said that Rohit Arya, a former project director, had been involved in a dispute with the administration over the ‘Swachhta Monitor Abhiyan’. He had accused the education department of injustice and claimed that ₹2 crore owed to him for school project work had not been paid. He had even staged a hunger strike outside the residence of then Minister Kesarakar.