Powai hostage crisis explained: 4-hour siege timeline and Rohit Arya’s death

A major scare gripped Mumbairsquos Powai on Thursday afternoon when Rohit Arya allegedly held 16 children and one adult hostage inside a studio The tense standoff ended after Arya was shot dead by the police while all hostages were rescued unharmedAccording to police sources Arya arrived at RA Studio around 12 noon By 1230 pm 16 children aged between 10 and 15 had reached the venue for an audition session Around 1 pm Arya suddenly locked the doors refusing to let anyone leave and declared that everyone inside was now his hostageThe crowd and the authorities outside the Powai building where the encounter took place PicsBy Special ArrangementAt 115 pm the terrified children began screaming for help through the glass panels A local resident heard their cries and alerted the police Within minutes officers from the Powai police station arrived and sealed off the areaNegotiation turns deadlyFor over an hour police tried to negotiate with Arya urging him to release the hostages and surrender Zone 10 DCP Datta Nalawade led the onsite operation while senior officials mdash including the additional commissioner West Region and joint commissioner Law amp Order mdash monitored from headquartersRohit AryaWhen talks failed the situation escalated At around 330 pm the fire brigade was called for support and arrived by 345 pm Firefighters broke open a small bathroom window fitted with an antitheft sensor allowing three police officers to enter the hall through a narrow openingAs soon as Arya spotted the officers around 4 pm he allegedly pointed an air gun at them and fired Mistaking it for a real firearm Assistant Police Inspector Amol Waghmare fired a single shot in selfdefence hitting Arya in the chestMangal Patankar 75 from Kolhapur who was among the hostages with her granddaughterPolice overpowered Arya and secured the room He was rushed to a nearby hospital by 410 pm where doctors declared him dead By 430 pm all 21 hostages mdash 16 children one adultmdash were safely rescuedPolice later recovered an air gun and several chemical bottles from the scene Officials confirmed that none of the children witnessed the firing ldquoThe kids were in another section of the studio away from the encounter site They may have heard the gunshot but didnrsquot see anythingrdquo said a police sourceGrandma saysMangal Patankar 75 who was held hostage along with her 11yearold granddaughter said ldquoSir Rohit Arya told me to sit with the children after we had breakfast He used to tell me to sit with the kids every day I would look after the children and scold them whenever they would do some mischiefAmol Waghmare the AntiTerrorism Cell officer who made the quick decisionSuddenly I heard some sound from outside At first I thought some film shooting was going on But then I heard some women cry loudly I then felt that something was wrong and herded the children together When the police tried to break open the door the door fell on me and I was hurtrdquoCrime Branch takes overA senior officer confirmed that the case has been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch for a detailed investigation into Aryarsquos motive background and possible accomplices The Powai police who led the rescue will assist the probeWho was Rohit AryaPreliminary inquiries reveal that Arya had worked on a project related to the lsquoSwachh Bharatrsquo documentary under the banner Letrsquos Change He had been conducting auditions at the studio for several days inviting children from across Maharashtra mdash including from Nanded Pune Panvel and MumbaildquoArya would visit during auditions check progress and even interact with the kids explaining technical details and guiding them through the shootrdquo said a police source Investigators are now probing whether the project was legitimate or merely a cover for his activitiesTimeline145 pm Police receive an emergency call from Mahavir Classik building in Powai reporting that a man had taken several children hostage inside RA Studio200 pm The accused is identified as Rohit Arya He records a video claiming that his demands are ldquomoralrdquo and not financial Police begin negotiations to persuade him to release the hostages200 pm ndash 330 pm Negotiation efforts continue Around 16 children and one adult remain trapped inside the studio Police secure the surrounding area and coordinate reinforcements through the Western Region Control Room330 pm As talks fail the Quick Response Team QRT is deployed Commandos enter the premises through a side entry to rescue the hostages The accused opens fire at the police team330 pm Police retaliate Rohit Arya is shot in the chest during a brief exchange of fire The team successfully rescues all hostages from the studio430 pm ndash 500 pm The injured accused is rushed to a hospital where he is declared dead All 17 hostages 16 children and one adult are found safe and undergo medical examinations before being handed over to their familiesEvening Police recover an air gun and chemical substances from the studio