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
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Annpurna Devi expresses anguish over girl's rape in TN, urges NCW to act
New Delhi (PTI): Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi on Tuesday expressed her anguish over the alleged gang rape of a girl in Tamil Nadu and urged the National Commission for Women to take immediate cognisance of the matter.
In a post on X, Devi said, "Deeply anguished by this horrific incident. I urge the NCW to take immediate cognisance and act swiftly in coordination with the concerned authorities to ensure the strictest action against all culprits."
Devi said, "Justice must be swift and unsparing — the accused must be brought to book without delay," adding, "the safety, dignity, and justice of every daughter of India remain our highest priority."
"We stand firmly with the survivor and her family in this difficult hour," she said.
Reacting to a post by former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, who flagged concerns over the law and order situation in the state, Devi said such incidents "expose grave concerns" under the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government.
Annamalai, in his post, alleged that a 15-year-old girl from Kanchipuram, who had come to participate in a temple festival near Seyyaru in Tiruvannamalai district, was gangraped.
He said the incident was "deeply shocking and enraging" to him and alleged that such crimes point to a "complete failure" of law and order in Tamil Nadu.
Annamalai demanded immediate arrest of all those involved and the "harshest punishments" for the accused.
He also called for full protection and mental health counselling for the survivor and her family.
