Mumbai: Rs 2 crore dues for school contract drove Rohit Arya to plan hostage drama

Arya died of gunshot wounds after a dramatic shootout at RA Studio in Powai, where he held hostage 19 people, including 17 teenage acting auditioners, for two hours starting around 1.45 p.m. on Thursday, police said.

He, it seems, was trying to draw the attention of influential government functionaries, including Kesarkar, to get his Rs 2 crore payment released for the work he had carried out in a school project called "Swachhta Monitor" in 2023.

A resident of Pune, Arya had earlier tried to raise the issue several times to draw the attention of the authorities towards his pending dues, but without success, said sources.

During the hostage drama on Thursday, he released a video message saying, "I am not a terrorist... neither am I seeking money. I wish to talk to some people."

He also explained that he had been pushed to suicide, but rather than taking his own life, he was trying to reach out to the people he wanted to speak to through the "Hostage plan".

The abductor claimed that he was forced to take the step to force certain individuals to speak to him, failing which he threatened to set the studio building and the hostages on fire, the police said.

The hostage drama ended with the rescue of 17 children and two others, and Arya succumbed to his gunshot wounds in the hospital.

Former state school education minister Kesarkar clarified that his name was unnecessarily being dragged into the controversy.

He told reporters, "Rohit Arya had come with a concept called 'Swachhta Monitor' and he was given a contract under the 'Mera School Ek Sunder School Hai' campaign. However, he indulged in some direct monetary dealings."

"He should have spoken to the department and resolved the matter as he was undertaking government work... as there are certain protocols in such official processes," said Kesarkar.

"Holding people hostage is not a solution, as all of us need to work under the set norms," said Kesarkar.

Arya was an employee of the studio, where he held the 17 children hostage, and he appeared to be mentally unstable, the police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Dutta Nalawade said the police were forced to storm the studio after entering through a toilet window, as Arya showed no signs of letting off the hostages.

The shootout was triggered by Arya, who opened fire at the policemen using his air gun, the police said.

Arya, who died during treatment at the hospital, was carrying an air gun, chemicals and a lighter, which he threatened to use to set the building on fire in case his demand for speaking to Kesarkar and other people was not fulfilled.

The Mumbai Police were alerted about the illegal confinement drama after some of the hostages, who attend acting classes on the first floor, managed to wave at passersby and seek help.

The 30-minute operation to end the hostage drama caused panic in the Powai area as the police threw a security ring around the studio and asked people to vacate the area.

A Quick Reaction Team (QRT) was also rushed to the spot, fearing a terror angle.

The studio where the drama unfolded is popular for acting classes, and Arya plotted the "hostage episode" after about 100 children had come to give an audition in the morning, the police said.

- IANS