(MENAFN- Live Mint) Rohit Arya, man who held 17 children hostage at R A Studio in Mumbai's Powai, was shot dead by the Mumbai police during a rescue operation on Thursday.

Hours before Rohit Arya's arrest, Mumbai police had shared that all the children have been rescued.

What happened in Mumbai?

On Thursday afternoon, police received a call at about 1.45 pm about a man holding children hostage inside R A Studio in Mahavir Classic building, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade.

The man was later identified as Rohit Arya. According to ANI, he held as many as 19 persons including 17 teenage children hostage

The children, boys and girls around 15 years old, had been called for an `audition', as per the preliminary information.

Ahead of the rescue operation, Arya had released a video on social media, saying he wanted to speak to a few people and ask them questions, and he did not want money. He had reportedly threatened that if he was not allowed to do so, he would set fire to the studio.

Who is Rohit Arya?

Mumbai police officials are currently probing Rohit Arya's background, DCP Nalwade told PTI.

Initially, police tried to negotiate with Arya during the rescue operation, but as the talks made no headway – a police team entered the studio through the bathroom and overpowered him with the help of another person who was inside – the DCP told reporters.

"It was a challenging operation, because we were negotiating with him without any positive outcome....To save the children's lives was our priority," Nalawade said, adding that further investigation was underway.

(This is a developing story. Keep checking for more updates)

MENAFN30102025007365015876ID1110271166