Mumbai police on Thursday rescued at least 20 children who were lured to RA Studio near the L&T building in Powai over a web series audition. These included boys and girls who were aged around 15.
The children, who were held hostage, were handed over to their guardians during a rescue operation that lasted an hour.
The police dialled the fire brigade around 3 pm. With their help, the grills of the studio were cut open wit hydraulic tools, following which the police entered the building and rescued the children.
Who is Rohit Arya?
Police identified the accused as Rohit Arya, whom Powai senior police inspector Jeevan Sonawane said appeared to be mentally ill. He sought to speak with former Maharashtra education minister Deepak Kesarkar regarding issues concerning the department. He threatened to set everything ablaze and harm himself and the children, if he is not allowed to talk, said police.
He was arrested after police shot him. Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayanan said Arya was holding what appeared to be a weapon resembling a gun.
In a video, he is seen saying, "I am Rohit Arya and instead of dying by suicide, I have made a plan and I am holding some children hostage here. I don’t have many demands; I have very simple demands, moral demands, ethical demands, and a few questions."
He then added, "I want to talk to some people, ask them questions. 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."
