Mumbai RA Studio hostage crisis ends as police rescue 17 children, suspect Rohit Arya dead

PTC Web Desk: Rohit Arya, the man who held 17 children and two adults hostage at Mumbai’s RA Studio, succumbed to injuries at a hospital after being shot during a police rescue operation. The incident took place on Thursday afternoon in the Powai area, where the Mumbai Police carried out a swift and coordinated mission to save all the hostages safely.

Officials confirmed that Arya, who was employed at RA Studio, was critically injured during the operation and later died while undergoing treatment. The rescued children were handed over to their parents and guardians soon after the operation concluded.

According to police sources, the suspect had earlier released a self-recorded video message in which he claimed he did not intend to harm anyone. Arya stated that he had “moral and ethical demands” and wanted to have a “simple conversation” with certain people. In the video, he said, “I have not taken the children for ransom. I just want to talk and ask some questions.”

Arya warned that he should not be blamed if the children were hurt, asserting that his only goal was to get authorities to hear him out. “After I finish talking, I will come out on my own. Please do not provoke me into doing something wrong,” he said in the message.

Witnesses reported seeing children peering through the studio’s glass windows while the police tried to negotiate with Arya. When talks failed, officers entered the building through a bathroom to reach the hostages, said DCP Dutta Nalawade (Zone 10).

Investigations later revealed that Arya had been organising auditions at the studio and had attracted families over several days. Originally from Nagpur, Arya had been residing in Mumbai’s Chembur area. The police are now probing his background and possible mental health issues to understand his motive for taking the children hostage.