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Mumbai Crime Branch Probes Powai Studio Hostage Case After Children Rescued

Investigators are taking witness statements to test the suspect’s claim of unpaid education‑project dues.

Overview

  • Police say all children taken from RA Studio in Powai were safely rescued and cleared by doctors with no injuries reported.
  • Mumbai Police commandos ended the standoff in roughly 35 minutes by entering through a bathroom grill, and a single shot fired by API Amol Waghmare struck the suspect, who later died in hospital.
  • The Crime Branch has begun recording the statement of co-worker Rohan Ahir, who says he alerted colleagues, called police, and broke studio glass to help officers gain entry.
  • In a video sent to parents, the man identifying himself as Rohit Arya said he was not a terrorist and framed his actions as moral demands while also citing an alleged Rs 2 crore due from the Maharashtra Education Department.
  • A well-known Marathi actor said he visited the studio a day earlier to discuss a project and observed children there, adding a detail investigators are reviewing as they map the suspect’s recent contacts.