Mumbai: 20 children held hostage in Powai acting studio, rescued after culprit's detention

Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS) In a dramatic rescue operation, a social media channel owner was disarmed of an air gun and detained to free 20 children held “hostage” by him after an audition round at R A Studio in Mumbai’s Powai on Thursday, a police official said.

Rohit Arya had taken the children hostage and circulated a video as part of a plan to force certain individuals to speak to him, failing which he threatened to set the studio building and the hostages on fire, the police said.

The Mumbai Police were alerted after some of the hostages, who attend acting classes on the first floor, managed to wave at passersby and seek help.

The drama ended after senior police officials engaged Arya, who they suspect is mentally unstable, in talks and stormed the premises, said a police official.

“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. 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 conducting auditions over 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.

--IANS

rch/dan