Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse on Friday said he has sought a detailed report on the work carried out by hostage-taker Rohit Arya with the education department.

According to the news agency PTI, Arya (50) was shot dead on Thursday after he allegedly took 17 children and two adults hostage inside R A Studio in Powai. The children, aged between 10 and 12, had been called for an audition for a web series that had been ongoing for six days. Police rescued all hostages after a three-hour standoff, during which Arya sustained a fatal bullet injury.

Before the incident, Arya had claimed that his payments for a Maharashtra education department project were pending and had even staged a protest in Pune.

According to PTI, Bhuse said Arya’s company, Apsara Entertainment Network, was involved in the Swachhta Monitor initiative and had collected money from schools for participation. “The department appears to have taken action against him. We have sought a detailed report on the work he undertook,” Bhuse told reporters.

As per PTI, former school education minister Deepak Kesarkar said he had earlier offered financial help to Arya after the latter complained of delayed payments. Kesarkar claimed that Arya had collected money from students through a website, which the department had objected to.

According to a government resolution issued on January 25, 2024, Arya was the director of Project Let’s Change, which ran the Swachhta Monitor campaign between July 20 and October 2, 2023.

The initiative involved over 64,000 schools and 59 lakh students, encouraging children to act as cleanliness monitors and discourage public littering and spitting.

After Powai hostage crisis, R A Studio reassures safety and praises police response

R A Studio has expressed deep relief and gratitude following Thursday’s dramatic hostage situation at its Powai premises, where 16 children and one adult were held captive for nearly three hours before being rescued safely by Mumbai Police.

In an official statement, the studio on Friday said: “We recently faced an unexpected and distressing situation at our studio during a third-party reservation. We`re deeply relieved that everyone, especially the children and parents, was safe thanks to the swift response of Mumbai Police. Our team has been fully cooperative with the authorities and has already strengthened our on-site safety measures. We remain committed to providing a safe, professional, and creative space for all artists.”

According to police, Arya had been conducting auditions at the studio for nearly a week. Parents grew alarmed when the children failed to return during the lunch break, prompting them to alert the authorities.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade told PTI, “At about 1.30 pm, Powai police station received information that a person had taken 16 children hostage. A rescue operation was launched, and all children were safely freed. During the operation, the accused sustained injuries and was rushed to hospital, where he was declared dead.”

(With PTI inputs)

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