Mumbai hostage scare: 17 children rescued from Powai acting studio; suspect arrested

All the children were rescued shortly after the incident, and the suspect was arrested.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade said air guns and chemicals were recovered from the spot, adding that the suspect had acted alone.

Officers gained entry into the studio through a bathroom after forcing their way in, reported India Today.

Eyewitnesses earlier said they had seen several children peering through the studio’s glass windows.

The incident occurred at RA Studio, where acting classes are routinely held.

Preliminary investigations identified the accused as Rohit Arya, an employee at the studio who also runs a YouTube channel.

According to initial reports, Rohit had been conducting auditions at the studio for the past four to five days. On Thursday morning, when nearly 100 children arrived for auditions, he reportedly allowed about 80 to leave but kept around 15 to 20 confined inside.

In a video message, the suspect identified himself as Rohit Arya and said he had “made a plan” and taken the children hostage to compel certain people to talk to him.

Paraphrasing his remarks, he said his demands were not financial in nature but “moral” and “ethical.”

He said he wanted to “ask questions and receive answers,” asserting that he did not consider himself a terrorist.

Arya also warned that any aggressive action could provoke him and urged authorities and others “not to trigger” him.

"The reason I have taken these children hostage is that I took them hostage as part of a plan... I was really going to do it; I am going to do it if I remain alive. If I die, someone else will do it, but it will definitely happen and it will be with these very children. If they are not harmed, because a slightest wrong move from your end will trigger me to set this entire place on fire and die in it. Whether I die or not, the children will be unnecessarily hurt — they will definitely be traumatised — something will come of that, so I don’t want to be counted as responsible for that; let those people be counted responsible who are unnecessarily triggering this, while a normal common person only wants to talk. After my talks are over, I will come out myself. I am not alone; there are other people with me. Many people have these problems and I am going to provide a solution — just by talking. Please do not trigger me to do any harm to anybody," Arya said in the video.

Mumbai Police said they were speaking to the accused to determine his motive and confirmed that all the children were safe and had been reunited with their guardians.