Mumbai Thriller: How a Studio ‘Audition’ Turned Into a Hostage Crisis in Powai
A man held 17 children and two adults hostage in a Mumbai studio under the guise of auditions. Police rescued all safely after a tense standoff; the accused was later shot dead
A shocking incident shook Mumbai’s Powai area on 30 October 2025. A man named Rohit Arya lured children to a studio under the pretext of web-series auditions, then held them and two adults hostage inside a building, threatening to set it on fire.
Police said Arya had called at least 17 children aged 10–15, along with two adults, to the “RA Studio” in the Mahavir Classic building. He later released a video claiming he had “moral demands” and was not a terrorist.
Police immediately sealed off the area. The Quick Response Team (QRT), bomb squad, and fire brigade were deployed. Arya reportedly fired an air-gun at officers and had chemicals inside the studio. Negotiations failed, leading the police to storm at around 3:45 PM. All children and adults were safely rescued, but Arya was shot in the chest after opening fire and was declared dead later at a hospital.
According to early reports, Arya’s motive involved unpaid dues of ?2 crore from a government project named “Swachhata Monitor / Mera School Ek Sundar School.” Authorities described him as mentally unstable.
The incident sparked strong reactions on social media, with the hashtag #PowaiHostage trending as users demanded better safety for child artists. Political leaders promised a full investigation into the case.
