A hostage crisis unfolded in Mumbai this afternoon, with the suspect circulating a video message that he had some children in his captivity. In the video, the suspect identified himself as Rohit Arya and sought answers to what he claimed were “simple, moral, and ethical” demands. It’s not known yet what those demands were.
Believed to be mentally disturbed, he also threatened to set the studio on fire in case of the “slightest wrong move” by the other side.
The hostage situation lasted about three hours as cops forced their way inside the studio and arrested Arya. Seventeen children have been rescued, the police said.
Arya later died during an exchange of fire with the police after his arrest.
The Chilling Video
In the video circulated earlier in the day, a little longer than a minute and a half, Arya said that instead of dying by suicide, he was holding some children hostage and that he wanted to have a conversation with “some people.”
“I don’t have many demands; I have very simple demands, moral demands, ethical demands, and a few questions. I want to talk to some people, ask them questions, and if I have counter-questions to their answers, I want to ask them back. But I want these answers. I don’t want anything else. I’m not a terrorist, nor do I demand a lot of money, and I certainly don’t want anything immoral,” he said in the video.
Meanwhile, as the cops mounted a rapid response to rescue the children, some hands were spotted near the window of the studio building where the hostage crisis played out.
Arya said he had taken the children hostage as part of a plan. “I want simple conversations, and that’s why I’ve taken these children hostage. I’ve held them hostage as part of a plan. If I live, I’ll do it; if I die, someone else will, but it will definitely happen. It will happen to these children if they don’t suffer any harm.”
He also warned that the “slightest wrong move” by the police will trigger him, and he should not be held responsible for anything that happens after that.
“The slightest wrong move from you will trigger me to set this whole place on fire and die in it. Whether I die or not, the children will be unnecessarily hurt and traumatised. If something happens to them, I shouldn’t be held responsible for it; those who are unnecessarily triggering him should be held responsible, while a normal person just wants to talk,” he said.
“I am going to provide a solution just by talking. Please don’t trigger me to do any harm to anyone,” he added.
Arya said he would walk out after he was done with the conversation. He also claimed there were others with him who faced the same “problem.” But the police later said he was alone.
The crime scene is being searched for more clues about what led to the hostage situation. The police have already found an air gun and chemical traces at the spot.