Mumbai police rescue 17 children after tense hostage drama

MUMBAI: Mumbai witnessed a dramatic and tense scene on Thursday when 17 children and two adults were held hostage at a studio in the city’s Powai area. Police managed to bring the situation under control after nearly three hours, safely rescuing all those trapped.

According to officials, the incident began around 1.30 pm when the Powai police received an alert that a man, identified as 50-year-old Rohit Arya, had taken several children hostage inside R A Studio located in the Mahavir Classic building. The children, aged between 10 and 12, had gathered there for an audition for a web series that had been taking place over the past two days. Police teams swiftly reached the spot and surrounded the premises while attempting to negotiate with the suspect. Senior officers from the Mumbai Police and Quick Response Team (QRT) personnel were deployed to ensure the safety of the hostages.

After hours of tense negotiations, the operation concluded with all the children and adults being rescued unharmed. The accused sustained a bullet injury during police action and was later declared dead. Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar commended the coordinated effort of the force, saying the operation was carried out with “utmost restraint and precision” to ensure no harm came to the children. He said the priority was to protect the lives of the young hostages The motive behind Arya’s actions remains unclear, and police are conducting an investigation into his background and the circumstances leading to the incident.

Mumbai, a city familiar with crises that have tested its law enforcement in the past, once again saw its police display professionalism under pressure, bringing a potentially tragic situation to a safe end.