Rohit Arya's day began with an alleged audition for a web series, which spiralled into a three-hour hostage crisis involving 17 children. When it ended, Arya was shot on the chest.
Rohit Arya installed motion sensors from the staircase up to the inner chamber of RA Studio.
Motion Detectors, Electroshock Weapons: Rohit Arya’s Gear To Fight Mumbai Cops
Mumbai:
The final moments of filmmaker Rohit Arya’s life unfolded in a modest studio in the Powai area of Mumbai — a space he had transformed into a digital fortress. The studio was equipped with motion detectors, advanced motion sensors, and high-definition security cameras, along with heavy-duty locks. Arya believed these security measures made his RA Studio nearly impenetrable. What began as a supposed audition for a web series quickly escalated into a shocking hostage situation in Mumbai, involving 19 hostages — 17 of them children — lasting nearly three hours. Arya was shot on the right side of his chest and later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.
According to Mumbai Police, the 38-year-old filmmaker had previously worked on a clean-up-for-rivers government program. Investigators revealed that Arya had strategically installed motion detectors and motion sensors from the stairwell into the inner room of RA Studio — where the hostages were confined — to trigger an alarm if anyone attempted to enter without authorization. These motion detector systems were calibrated to pick up even the slightest movements, alerting Arya in real time through his phone.
Multiple CCTV cameras, recording both audio and video, gave him full visibility of every corner of the studio. The motion detectors, combined with the live camera feeds, provided continuous surveillance both inside and outside the room. Police said the setup suggested a premeditated plan to control every movement within the studio.
Aside from an airgun, Arya had an electronic shock weapon used to incapacitate individuals, and a self-defense stick that expanded with a push of a button. He had also installed a center shutter lock at the entrance to block any forced entry. The motion detector system was reportedly integrated with a custom alarm that would immediately sound if there was an attempt to breach the secured area. Police later recovered several unidentified chemicals from the studio, which are currently being tested.
At around 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Mumbai Police received an emergency call reporting that a man had lured children to his studio under the pretext of an audition and then locked them inside. By this time, Arya had already started livestreaming parts of his plan through pre-recorded clips, stating that he chose to “hold hostages instead of dying by suicide.”
A small team led by Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Amol Waghmare accessed the studio through the bathroom next to it. The negotiations had broken down. Rohit Arya’s studio, already equipped with multiple motion detectors and high-security locks, was being monitored closely by police. Arya was threatening to fire what he described as “only an airgun,” which experts say can still be deadly at close range. When Rohit Arya appeared to take aim, ASI Waghmare opened fire. The bullet struck Arya in the chest, and he collapsed immediately afterward.
All 19 hostages, including two adults, were rescued unharmed. An officer’s split-second decision, police said, averted certain tragedy. By Thursday evening, Waghmare was being called the “Hero of Powai.”
In a video message posted shortly before the hostage-taking, Rohit Arya alleged that the Maharashtra government owed him ₹2 crore for a project he claimed to have led — an urban sanitation initiative called Project Let’s Change, which operated under his firm Apsara Media Entertainment Network. The project, launched in 2022–23, involved over 59 lakh students designated as “swachhata monitors” to promote cleanliness in schools. Investigators later found that several motion detectors inside Rohit Arya’s studio continued to function even during the operation, capturing movements and sounds during the police entry.
Rohit Arya’s demands, he claimed, were “very simple, moral, and ethical,” stating he had been waiting for payment despite completing the project.
The Maharashtra Education Department quickly issued a statement denying his claims. It explained that Apsara Media had been engaged under Project Let’s Change for the years 2022 and 2023, and ₹9.9 lakh had been released via an order dated June 30, 2023. The following year, the project was extended under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Shala Sundar Shala scheme for an additional ₹20.63 crore, which included ₹2 crore for student monitors.
In turn, the Department claimed Rohit Arya’s supporting documentation for the payments was incomplete and inflated. Allegations of cost manipulation included overreporting manpower, advertising, and the screening of a documentary promoting the project.
Later, evidence surfaced that Rohit Arya had collected registration fees from schools that opted into the project. Moreover, in August 2024, the Education Department directed him to deposit the collected funds into a government account and to provide an affidavit confirming he would no longer collect money independently. He ultimately failed to submit the affidavit or return the funds. The project was later terminated following the 2024 Assembly Election.
“There are always certain procedures — tenders, terms, and conditions — that must be followed in government projects. In this case, no such details seem to have been respected. The private media firm was even allowed to collect money from schools, which goes against government policy,” said Maharashtra Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse.