Mumbai Hostage Crisis: 19 Rescued, 50-Year-Old Project Director Rohit Arya Shot Dead After 3-Hour Standoff

Mumbai: A dramatic hostage crisis gripped Mumbai on Thursday after 50-year-old Rohit Arya took 19 people, including 17 children, captive inside RA Studio located in the Mahavir Classic building. The standoff, which lasted over three hours, ended when police commandos stormed the premises, safely rescuing all the hostages. Arya was shot dead in an encounter after he reportedly refused to surrender.

According to police officials, most of the hostages were schoolchildren aged between 10 and 12 years who had gathered for an activity at the studio. Authorities said the swift response by Mumbai Police prevented what could have turned into a major tragedy.

Media reports suggest that Rohit Arya had a strong academic background — having graduated from Symbiosis International University in Pune and later completing his MBA from the Indian School of Business in Mumbai. Initially inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Mission, Arya had devoted himself to working with schoolchildren to promote cleanliness and civic awareness.

He later founded a company that produced videos on social issues, aiming to raise public awareness. Arya was also appointed Project Director for the initiative “Let’s Change – PLA Swachhata Monitor” under the ‘Majhi Shala, Sundar Shala’ campaign, launched in October 2022 by former Maharashtra Education Minister and Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar. The project sought to engage students as cleanliness monitors to discourage spitting and littering in public areas.