17 children rescued in hostage drama in Mumbai's Powai area; accused shot dead
Mumbai (PTI): Mumbai Police on Thursday rescued 19 persons including 17 children from a studio in Powai area while the man who had held them hostage succumbed to bullet injuries sustained during the operation, officials said.
Rohit Arya, who had released a video statement during the hostage drama that went on for about an hour, was shot by police when he tried to harm the children with an air gun and later died at hospital, an official said.
"All the children are safe," said Satyanaranyan, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order).
Arya had apparently called the children -- boys and girls around 15 years old -- for an audition for a web series, the official said.
Besides an air gun, Arya was carrying some chemicals, he added.
Initially, police did not mention that there had been a firing during the operation.
Police received a call at about 1.45 pm about a man holding children hostage inside R A Studio in Mahavir Classic building, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade.
Powai police officials along with a Quick Response Team (QRT), Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and a fire brigade team reached the spot, he said.
Before the rescue, Arya released a video on social media, saying he wanted to speak to a few people and ask them questions, and he did not want money. If he was not allowed to do so, he would set fire to the studio, he threatened.
Police tried to negotiate with him, but as the talks made no headway, a police team entered the studio through the bathroom, DCP Nalawade said.
Seventeen children, a senior citizen and another man were rescued, he added.
"It was a challenging operation, because we were negotiating with him without any positive outcome....To save the children's lives was our priority," Nalawade said.
When asked by reporters about the incident in Amravati, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said details will be shared soon.
Man holds 15–20 children hostage at a studio in Mumbai’s Powai and released a video saying he wants to speak with specific people and be allowed to meet them.
— The Tatva (@thetatvaindia) October 30, 2025
In the video, he threatened that if he’s not permitted to do so, he will set the studio on fire and harm himself and the… pic.twitter.com/UWG6Th95n9
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Congress leader Harish Rawat files FIR against BJP over 'misinformation' campaign against him
Dehradun (PTI) Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday filed a police complaint here against the alleged misinformation campaign being carried out against him by BJP on social media.
Rawat, who reached the Nehru Colony police station with his supporters, handed over a written complaint along with a pen drive and other evidence to the police.
Based on this, an FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 and relevant sections of law.
After filing the FIR, Rawat alleged that the police took four hours to register his complaint. He added that if it takes so long for a former CM to file an FIR, one can easily imagine the plight of a common man.
"Finally, after four hours, the police registered the FIR with trembling hands. Their hands were trembling because we have accused the BJP president and his associates, with factual evidence, of misusing AI to tarnish our and our party's image and trying to disrupt social harmony by targeting a particular community," Rawat said.
He expressed hope that after the registration of the FIR, the police would bring the culprits to justice.
Rawat also said, "Just imagine, if the police take so much time to register an FIR of a former CM, what will be the condition of a common man in this state?"
Later, he also handed over a copy of the FIR to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Dehradun and the SSP of the Special Task Force. Rawat also said that he would meet the District Magistrate of Dehradun and the State Election Officer with his complaint on Wednesday.
Recently, an AI-generated reel was uploaded on the official social media page of the BJP, which portrayed Rawat as a supporter of appeasement.
In the reel, a Congress leader is heard saying, "I take refuge in Muslims, I take refuge in dargahs (shrines), I take refuge in love jihad." The subsequent images show the construction of a dargah and some people smiling and talking about turning Devbhoomi (the land of gods) into a land of dargahs.
At the end of the reel, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is seen walking with police forces and bulldozers.
Rawat also claimed that another AI-generated video was uploaded from a 'fake' BJP platform, depicting him as a 'traitorous Pakistani agent' engaged in espionage. However, the BJP has denied any connection to this video.
