Who Was Rohit Arya, The Mastermind Of Mumbai Hostage Crisis Involving 17 Children?

Last Updated:October 30, 2025, 18:07 IST

Mumbai police launched a daring mission to rescue 17 children and two others, who were allegedly kidnapped and held hostage by Rohit Arya in Powai.

Rohit Arya was shot by police after he took 17 children hostage in Mumbai.

Mumbai police launched a daring rescue mission after a man, identified as Rohit Arya, allegedly kidnapped 17 children and two others, and held them hostage inside a studio in Powai for six days. The police barged into the studio and rescued all the children, while Arya was shot and later pronounced dead.

The accused also released a video saying that he wanted to speak to some people, and threatened to set the entire place ablaze if his demands were not met. Police received a call about the incident at 1:45 pm and attempted to negotiate with the alleged kidnapper.

When talks failed, police entered the studio forcefully from the bathroom. Arya opened fire on the police personnel using children as human shields, but was injured in retaliatory firing and was admitted to the hospital, where he was later declared dead. Police officers said the kidnapper appeared mentally unstable.

Who Was Rohit Arya?

Arya was a YouTuber and school teacher from Nagpur. Sources said he carried out a protest march against Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar, accusing the state government of withholding his funds in the Education Department.

The accused set up a fake web series audition and invited 100 students. He let 83 students go and kept 17 as hostages with two other people. He kept them on the ground floor and first floor of RA Studios in Powai.

In a video released after he kidnapped the children, Arya also claimed that he simply wants to speak with certain people and has “moral demands" without specifying what they are. “I’m not a terrorist, nor do I demand a lot of money, and I certainly don’t want anything immoral," he said.

ALSO READ: ‘I’m Not A Terrorist, Have Moral Demands’: Man Who Took 17 Kids Hostage In Mumbai

“After the conversation, I will come out myself. I am not alone. Please don’t trigger me to do some harm to anybody," he added. During the confrontation with police, Arya was shot in the chest and taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

All of the rescued children are safe and have been reunited with their families. Arya’s motives are currently being examined.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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