MUMBAI: A 45-year-old documentary filmmaker from Pune took 17 children, aged 12 to 15, a 75-year-old woman, and his staff member hostage for two hours at a recording studio in Powai on Thursday afternoon, after inviting them for auditions for a web series. The situation concluded when a police commando team stormed the studio following unsuccessful negotiations and shot him in the chest, allegedly in self-defense after he discharged an air gun. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The hostage situation unfolded after the captor, Rohit Aarrya, who had been residing in a relative’s apartment in Chembur for several days, released a video expressing his desire for “simple answers” to certain questions and threatened to ignite the premises if any attempts were made to confront him. In the video, which was disseminated to various media outlets, he claimed he was not a terrorist and merely wished “to be heard”. “Rather than ending my life through suicide, I have taken some children hostage,” he stated. Police officials reported that they spent almost two hours attempting to negotiate with Aarrya and understand his demands, but he remained uncooperative, even after one of the girls’ parents informed them that she suffered from seizures.
The police’s response was measured, prioritizing the safety of those held captive. An official stated that Rohit Aarrya appeared composed when the police engaged with him; however, he did not provide any details regarding his motives at any point. City police commissioner Deven Bharti asserted that Aarrya was the first to fire, which led to the police returning fire in retaliation. “Regardless of his demands, we could not allow him to jeopardize lives. He initiated the gunfire against the police. Our team responded in self-defense. There was no alternative available.” Other officials emphasized that the safety of the captives was the utmost priority, noting that the police’s response was measured and adhered to established protocols. The incident has led to calls from legal experts for a magisterial inquiry, as mandated by law, to investigate the claims of retaliatory police firing. Although Aarrya did not clarify his motives in the video or during the police’s negotiation efforts, it was revealed that he had previously engaged in a hunger strike against former school education minister Deepak Kesarkar of Shiv Sena in 2024, protesting alleged unpaid dues of Rs 2 crore for a state-sanctioned school cleanliness initiative. Kesarkar mentioned that he had personally given Aarrya some money as a “gesture of sympathy,” despite the school education department’s assertion that Aarrya had received payments directly from some students. He remarked that Aarrya should have addressed the issue with the department rather than taking children hostage. The city crime branch has assumed control of the investigation. Those who were rescued were transported to SevenHills Hospital for medical evaluation.
