Mumbai Police recover air gun, petrol, and lighter from Powai studio
The Mumbai Police have recovered an air gun, petrol, a flammable rubber solution, and a lighter from the R A Studio in Powai where Rohit Arya held 17 children and two adults hostage on Thursday. The shocking incident gripped the city for hours before police neutralized Arya during a rescue operation.
According to officials, the 50-year-old filmmaker had invited the children — all aged between 10 and 12 — for a web series audition that had been ongoing for nearly a week. What started as an acting opportunity turned into a nightmare for the kids when Arya locked the studio and refused to let anyone leave
The three-hour standoff that shocked Mumbai
Police said the drama unfolded over three tense hours before commandos stormed the studio. Arya was shot dead after he reportedly threatened to set the studio on fire using the petrol and flammable materials he had stored.
All the children were safely rescued, though visibly shaken. “Police recovered an air gun, petrol, inflammable rubber solution and lighter from the Powai studio. Sections 109(1), 140 and 287 of BNS 2023 have been invoked against Rohit Arya. The case has been handed over to the Crime Branch,” a senior officer confirmed.
Forensic teams have seized the recovered items for examination
Who was Rohit Arya?
Arya was a media professional and head of Apsara Entertainment Network. He had previously worked with the Maharashtra Education Department on a campaign called Swachhta Monitor under Project Let’s Change. The initiative, run between July and October 2023, encouraged over 64,000 schools and nearly 5.9 million students to act as cleanliness monitors.
However, Arya had been in dispute with the government, claiming he was owed ₹2 crore for his work. He had even staged a protest in Pune earlier this year, alleging unpaid dues.
Maharashtra Minister orders report
School Education Minister Dada Bhuse said he has sought a full report on Arya’s work with the department. “He took money from schools for the Swachhta Monitor project. The department appears to have acted against him earlier, but we’ve asked for a detailed report,” Bhuse told reporters.
Political reactions
Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad called the incident a “serious failure of governance,” pointing fingers at the state’s handling of Arya’s grievances. “Due to negligence, the lives of many children were put at risk,” she said.
What Arya said before the standoff ended
Before the police entered, Arya posted a video message online that quickly went viral. In it, he said he wasn’t a terrorist or extortionist but wanted to be “heard.”
“Instead of suicide, I decided to make a plan. I’ve taken a few children hostage… I want to speak to some people and get answers. I don’t want money,” Arya said in the video. “The slightest wrong move may trigger me to set this whole place on fire. Whether I die or not, the children will be traumatised… I shouldn’t be blamed,” he added.
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Investigation continues
The Mumbai Crime Branch has now taken over the investigation to determine Arya’s exact motive and how he managed to bring inflammable materials into the studio. Police are also probing his financial records and connections to past government projects.
The hostage incident has sparked a wider conversation about security protocols at film studios and the mental health pressures in the entertainment industry
