A man identified as Rohit Arya died on Thursday during the rescue operations after he held 16 children and one woman hostage inside a studio in the Powai area of the city.
The incident prompted a massive joint operation by the Mumbai police and fire brigade that lasted for over an hour.
The man appeared to be mentally unstable and was immediately taken into custody after all the children were safely rescued, said Senior Inspector Jeevan Sonawane of Powai Police. “All the children are safe and handed to their guardians. Other details will be shared after due verification,” he added.
“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,” news agency ANI reported citing Mumbai Police.
Rohit Arya wanted to have ‘a simple conversation’
According to the Mumbai Police, Arya had released a video believed to have been recorded during the hostage situation, in which he claimed to have certain demands and said he wanted to speak with some individuals.
In the clip, he also threatened to “set everything on fire and harm himself and the children” if his demands were not met. Arya said he had taken the children hostage as part of a plan to have “a simple conversation,” though he did not clarify what his demands were or whom he wanted to speak to.
Senior Inspector Sonawane added that Arya had demanded to speak with former Maharashtra education minister Deepak Kesarkar, citing grievances he claimed to have with the department.
The Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Satyanarayan, told reporters that about 20 people were inside the studio when Arya held them captive. He said the man was carrying an object that looked like a gun.
Police received the distress call around 3 pm
The Mumbai Fire Brigade received an emergency call from the police around 3 pm. Station Officer Abhijit Sonawane told Hindustan Times, “We cut open the grills with our hydraulic tools and made access for police. They entered inside and now all are rescued.”
The officials said they are conducting further verification before releasing additional details about Arya’s background and motives.
Panic gripped Powai on Thursday afternoon after reports emerged that several children had been taken hostage at Mahavir Classic Building in Powai.
Initial reports suggest that the children, boys and girls aged around 15, had been called to the studio for an “audition,” the report added.