By Mahesh Rathod, Editor – UnderCover Editor

Mumbai witnessed high tension on Thursday afternoon when a 50-year-old man, identified as Rohit Arya, allegedly held 17 children hostage at Ra Studio in Powai. The children, aged between 10 and 12, had come for an audition when Arya locked them inside and threatened to harm them and himself.

According to police officials, Arya had been demanding unpaid dues from the state government under the “My School, Beautiful School” campaign. In a disturbing video message, he claimed he had taken the children “for a conversation” and was not a terrorist.

A Quick Response Team (QRT) and Powai police launched an immediate rescue operation. During the tense standoff, Arya reportedly ignored repeated appeals to surrender. When police entered through the rear window, shots were fired — Arya was hit and later declared dead at the hospital.

All 17 children were safely rescued and reunited with their families. Police recovered an air gun and some chemicals from the scene.

Officials said Arya had earlier protested in Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur, claiming the government owed him over ₹2 crore for the Swachhta Monitor Project. However, Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar clarified that partial payment had already been made and denied further dues.

The Powai police have registered a case and are investigating the sequence of events that led to this shocking incident.