Those children were at least 20 safely rescued in the acting studio where the children had been held as hostages in the Powai area of Mumbai on Thursday after an intense standoff that shook the neighbourhood. Panic erupted in the locality as a man, who went by the name Rohit Arya, was reported to have taken several children hostage in the studio in the afternoon after which police responded in a rush and in great numbers.
The suspect is suspected to be mentally disturbed and after the dramatic rescue operation, the Powai Police senior Inspector Jeevan Sonawane confirmed that he was detained. Sonawane said that he had held a student as a hostage in the acting studio and was insisting to be given a meeting with former Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar over some of the grievances he alleged were by the department.
According to the Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanaray, some 20 children and adults were locked up in the studio and spent several hours in the place. The suspect was observed with a weapon that looked like a gun and this was a cause of concern as he might have caused harm. The officer continued by saying that we needed to secure the safety of the children first.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade was very instrumental in the rescue. The police alerted them around 3 p.m. according to Station Officer Abhijit Sonawane who told about it. To gain entry to the premises, we utilized hydraulic instruments to slice the grills of the windows to enable the police to gain entry inside the premises. Good to say, all the children escaped unhurt he said.
Later, the authorities verified that the children were reunited with their parents and were not hurt. Mumbai Police also informed the news agency that the accused had previously released a video where he threatened to burn everything and kill himself and children in case they did not concede to his demands. His motives and mental state are currently at the center of further investigation.
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