The situation at JJ Hospital remained tense on Friday as the body of Rohit Arya — the man shot dead by the Mumbai Police during an encounter a day earlier — was brought in for post-mortem.

Arya had allegedly held 17 children and two adults hostage at a Powai-based studio on Thursday, triggering a massive rescue operation that ended in his death.

Several police units — including commandos, JJ Hospital security staff, and local Mumbai Police personnel — maintained a heavy presence on the premises, particularly around the mortuary and post-mortem section.

The heightened security was aimed at preventing any untoward incident as news of Arya’s body being brought in drew crowds and media to the hospital.

At around 9:30 a.m, Rohit Arya’s body was brought to JJ Hospital from the Jogeshwari Trauma Centre. After completing the necessary formalities, it was moved to the post-mortem section.

According to police sources, several of Arya’s relatives were contacted to provide consent for the post-mortem.

“Many family members refused to come to the hospital, and it was only after much persuasion that his brother-in-law agreed,” a source said.

By around 5:30 p.m., Arya’s brother-in-law arrived at JJ Hospital to complete the legal formalities. Dressed in a black shirt and a white cap, he was escorted inside by police personnel under tight security. His statement was recorded before he gave written consent for the post-mortem.

However, by the time the formalities were completed, daylight had faded. As per procedure, post-mortems in special cases conducted under video surveillance cannot be carried out after 6 p.m. Consequently, a police team was dispatched to obtain special permission from the magistrate to conduct the procedure after hours.

It is yet to be confirmed whether the post-mortem will be carried out later at night or on Saturday morning after 6 a.m.

Source