How Mumbai hostage crisis ended with rescue of 17 children, death of kidnapper

Mumbai’s Powai was rocked by a hostage scare after a man held at least 19 people, mostly children, captive in a studio on Thursday (October 30). All children have now been rescued by the police.

The man, identified as Rohit Arya, was reportedly injured in an exchange of gunfire with the police during the rescue operation. He died in the hospital where he was admitted with a gunshot wound to his chest.

Let’s take a closer look.

What happened?

Rohit Arya allegedly took 17 children and two adults hostage at a local acting studio in Mumbai’s Powai area in broad daylight.

As per a News18 report, the 50-year-old accused had invited 100 students for a web series audition, which turned out to be fake.

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While 83 students were allowed to go, he allegedly held 17 others captive at the RA Studio in Mahavir Classik building.

The children, aged between 13 and 17, had come to Mumbai from different parts of Maharashtra for the “audition”, reported Times of India.

A senior citizen and a civilian were among the 19 hostages that the accused held captive on the ground floor of the studio in Powai.

VIDEO | Mumbai: Police rescue over 20 children who were held hostage inside a flat in Powai area. The suspect, who identified himself as Rohit Arya has been arrested, as per the officials.

(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/EsQRqDuISi

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 30, 2025

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The Mumbai Police said that the accused had released a video where he purportedly admitted to taking children hostage.

In the clip, Arya can be hearing saying that he chose hostage-taking “instead of dying by suicide”.

“I am Rohit Arya. Instead of dying by suicide, I have made a plan and am holding some children hostage here.”

He demanded “simple conversations, moral demands, and ethical accountability”, asserting he was “not a terrorist” and did not seek money.

Arya further warned that “the slightest wrong move” would trigger him to “set the place on fire”.

“A man, identified as Rohit Arya, has held a few children hostage in the Powai area of Mumbai. He has released a video purportedly saying that he wants to speak with a few people, and if he is not allowed to do it, he will set everything on fire and harm himself and the children. The man seems to be mentally unstable, and the Police are trying to handle the matter,” ANI quoted a statement by the Mumbai Police.

How Mumbai Police rescued hostages

The police said they reached the site after they received a distress call at 1.45 pm. They attempted to negotiate with Arya, however, he refused to release the children, NDTV reported.

The police then forcefully entered the building.

According to a senior police officer, the police broke open the grill of the studio to rescue the children.

“The police broke open the grill on the back side of the room in the building and managed to enter. A police officer fired one round, which hit Arya. All the children are safe and have been handed over to their parents,” the official said.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Visuals from the spot in Powai area of Mumbai where a man, identified as Rohit Arya, held a few children hostage demanding that he be allowed to speak to a few people.

The children were soon rescued by the Police and handed over to their guardians. The… pic.twitter.com/9W5iCLMOw9

— ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2025

The police said all 19 people were rescued.

“It was a challenging operation, because we were negotiating with him without any positive outcome….To save the children’s lives was our priority,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade was quoted as saying by PTI. 

What we know about the kidnapper

The police said the kidnapper was immediately rushed to a hospital for treatment but he succumbed to bullet wounds.

“At present, we do not have much information about Arya, but we are gathering details about his background. The police are conducting a panchnama of the site and recording statements of people present in the studio and the building,” the official said, as per Indian Express. 

Police have recovered the air gun and some chemical containers from the scene, which they suspect he used to threaten officers, reported NDTV. 

Arya, a native of Pune, reportedly made web series. The children were invited

which investigators believe he used to threaten officers. The children were invited for a web series audition at RA Studios, located on the ground floor of a residential building in Powai.

He had previously alleged that the department owed him payment for a sanitation campaign called the PLC Sanitation Monitor Project, launched under the Chief Minister’s My School, Beautiful School campaign. Arya claimed the project, part of his ‘Let’s Change’ campaign begun in 2013, aimed to make schoolchildren “ambassadors of cleanliness”.

Arya is a native of Pune and makes web series. Satya Narayan Chaudhary, Joint Commissioner of Police, said he was staying in Chembur recently.

The children were at the studio for an audition. “Arya had been coming to the studio for four to five days,” the officer added.

As per NDTV, Arya had previously alleged that he was sanctioned Rs 2 crore for his work but was not paid since January 2024. He went on a hunger strike twice last year, accusing officials of sidelining him from the programme even after he received assurances from then Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar.

Arya claimed Kesarkar had issued him two cheques of Rs 7 lakh and Rs 8 lakh as personal assistance, and promised another one but that was not fulfilled.

With inputs from agencies