A tense hostage situation gripped Mumbai’s Powai area on Thursday afternoon after a man named Rohit Arya took several children captive inside a local studio. He later died in an exchange of gunfire with the police. Before the encounter, Arya released a disturbing video message claiming he had “simple, moral, and ethical” demands.
According to the police, Arya appeared mentally disturbed and had threatened to set the studio on fire if provoked. The crisis lasted for nearly three hours before police officers stormed into the building and rescued all 17 children safely.
The Chilling Video Message
In a one-and-a-half-minute video, Arya introduced himself and claimed that he had chosen to hold children hostage “instead of dying by suicide.” He said he wanted to talk to certain people and seek answers to questions he described as “moral” and “ethical.”
Big Breaking 🚨
17 children have been kidnapped and taken hostage in Mumbai.
Accused Rohit Arya claimed he wanted to talk to ex-Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar over departmental issues.
Rohit Arya was shot dead pic.twitter.com/PjD1rz2PJQ
— Sumit Kumar📸 (@Photo_Sumit_) October 30, 2025
“I don’t have many demands; I have very simple demands, moral demands, ethical demands, and a few questions. I want to talk to some people, ask them questions, and if I have counter-questions to their answers, I want to ask them back. But I want these answers. I don’t want anything else. I’m not a terrorist, nor do I demand a lot of money, and I certainly don’t want anything immoral,” Arya said in the video.
He further claimed that he had a plan and that his actions were part of it.
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“I want simple conversations, and that’s why I’ve taken these children hostage. I’ve held them hostage as part of a plan. If I live, I’ll do it; if I die, someone else will, but it will definitely happen. It will happen to these children if they don’t suffer any harm.”
‘Don’t Trigger Me,’ Warns Arya
Arya repeatedly warned the police not to make any “wrong moves,” saying such actions would “trigger” him.
“The slightest wrong move from you will trigger me to set this whole place on fire and die in it. Whether I die or not, the children will be unnecessarily hurt and traumatized. If something happens to them, I shouldn’t be held responsible for it; those who are unnecessarily triggering him should be held responsible, while a normal person just wants to talk,” he said.
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He claimed he only wanted dialogue and insisted he wasn’t a threat.
“I am going to provide a solution just by talking. Please don’t trigger me to do any harm to anyone,” he added.
Police Rescue Operation
As the situation unfolded, police teams quickly arrived at the spot after receiving distress calls around 1:45 pm. Officers forced entry into the studio and rescued all 17 children unharmed. The police said Arya fired at them using an air gun, prompting them to retaliate. He was injured during the exchange and later died during treatment.
The police recovered an air gun and traces of chemicals from the studio, which Arya reportedly used to threaten officers. Investigators are now examining the crime scene to determine the motive behind his actions.
ALSO READ: Powai Hostage Case: Accused Rohit Arya Shot Dead in Mumbai Police Encounter
