When reel became real: Arya had told crew they were going to shoot children hostage situation
Mumbai (PTI): Rohit Arya had told his film crew that they were going to shoot a hostage drama involving children, without providing any inkling that he was planning a real-life situation which was to end in a tragedy, his videographer said on Friday.
Arya took 17 children and two adults hostage inside R A Studio in Powai on Thursday before being shot dead by police during a rescue operation.
Videographer Rohan Aher, who had been working with Arya for the last 10 years and was a prime witness during the three-hour drama, recounted the sequence of events before the media.
The auditions which Arya was conducting at a studio in Powai, ostensibly for a web series, had got over by Wednesday, but Arya extended them by another day, he said.
Aher had shot films for Arya's initiatives including `Swachhta Monitor' and `Lets Change' projects, he said.
On Wednesday, Arya told him that they were going to shoot a hostage situation involving children, Aher said. Arya also asked him to bring five liters of petrol and firecrackers for the shoot, but Aher did not follow the instructions as there were going to be children in the studio, he said.
When Aher reached the studio on Thursday morning, a spot boy told him nobody was allowed to go into the studio upstairs. After some time, Arya himself came down, and told him they wanted to shoot a scene involving fire, and he had brought bottles of rubber solution for the purpose, Aher said.
Arya also asked him to lock the gate and all the entry points of the studio. Subsequently, Arya poured the rubber solution and set it on fire in front of the children, he said.
Aher and others were scared and asked him not to do it, so Arya, wielding an air gun, asked Aher to stay away. Aher ran out of the studio and told the people standing outside they should call police, he said.
He then went upstairs and broke a glass window of the studio with a hammer (in an attempt to rescue the children inside), sustaining an injury to his hand, Aher said, adding that Arya sprayed pepper spray into his eyes, making him fall down the staircase.
Aher, however, helped a senior citizen woman who was inside to come out, and she too sustained a head injury in the process, he said.
In the meantime, police had reached the spot and started negotiations with Arya.
Aher again sneaked into the studio and asked the children to get out with him, but four children remained inside, he said.
By this time the police had forced entry into the studio.
When Aher returned to bring out the remaining children, he heard gunfire, he said, adding he did not remember how many shots he heard.
As per the police, Arya fired an air gun at them, and was hit in the chest in retaliatory firing. He was declared dead in hospital.
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Businessman lured by FB friend, attacked for extortion in K'taka; 4 held
Madikeri (Karnataka) (PTI): Four people were arrested for allegedly assaulting, illegally confining and attempting to extort money from a 39-year-old businessman who was lured through a honeytrap set up on social media, police said on Monday.
The accused have been identified as Rachana, Malati, Darshan and Ravi.
Police said efforts are underway to nab the remaining suspects involved in the incident, which occurred on December 12 in Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu.
According to the complaint, the victim, a resident of Maddur taluk in Mandya district, was befriended by a woman identified as Rachana through Facebook, who later sought financial assistance and received Rs 5,000 from him via PhonePe on November 28.
When he asked her to return the money, the woman allegedly asked him to travel to Mysuru or Kushalnagar, promising to meet him.
The police said the woman later called the victim to Madikeri on December 12 and took him to a house near the market area, where they spent some time and consumed alcohol in the evening.
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Later that night, citing an emergency, the woman left the house. After her departure, three men allegedly broke into the house and attacked the victim, assaulting him with a stick and the handle of a sword, causing injuries to his face, mouth, chest and leg, the FIR stated.
The complainant alleged that he was forcibly confined, stripped and a nude video of him was recorded. The accused also allegedly threatened him with a toy gun, demanding Rs 50 lakh and warning that the video would be uploaded on social media if the money was not paid.
Police said the victim was held captive and somehow managed to escape in the early hours of December 13. However, after he escaped, the accused allegedly attempted to kidnap him in an autorickshaw, an incident that was captured on CCTV cameras.
Based on his complaint at the Madikeri Town police station, a case was registered under Sections 310(2) (dacoity), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a senior police officer said.
“Four accused, including two women, have been arrested. Efforts are on to nab two more absconding accused. Further investigation is on,” he added.
