Mumbai hostage drama ends as culprit killed

Guwahati: Owner of a social media channel killed by Mumbai Police in a hostage drama that was plotted by him with an air gun to be in possession of 20 children at R A Studio in Mumbai’s Powai on Thursday.

Rohit Arya expired of excessive bleeding “while being taken to the hospital after the police stormed the premises where he held the children hostage for about 30 minutes under the garb of conducting an acting audition, police said.”

Amid the hostage drama, Arya circulated a video to force some individuals to speak to him.

With no resposnse, he threatened to set the studio building and the hostages on fire, as per cops.

The Mumbai Police was alerted and the ruckus ended after senior police officials spoke to Arya was mentally unstable.

The weapon was an air gun, the police said.

“All children have been rescued and the abductor is in police detention,” said a senior police official. The 30-minute hostage drama caused panic in the Powai area as the police threw a security ring around the studio and asked people to vacate the area.

A Quick Reaction Team (QRT) was also rushed to the spot, fearing a terror angle. In a video message posted after allegedly holding the Children hostage, Arya said, “I am not a terrorist…neither am I seeking money.

A Quick Reaction Team (QRT) reached the the spot, fearing a terror angle.

In a video message posted after allegedly holding the Children hostage, Arya said, “I am not a terrorist…neither am I seeking money.

I wish to talk to some people.”

He also explained that he had been pushed to suicide, but rather than taking his own life, he was trying to reach out to the people he wanted to speak to through the “Hostage plan”.

The studio where the drama unfolded is popular for acting classes, and Arya plotted the “hostage episode” after about 100 children had come to give an audition in the morning, the police said.

Sources said Arya had been preparing for the past four to five days.

“Today, he let 80 of the audition givers leave the premises after their test but asked about 20 children to stay back,” said a police official, suggesting that the hostage plan seemed to be premeditated.