indian express

A man who kept 19 people including 17 children hostage in a Mumbai studio on Thursday was shot dead by a policeman just as the gunman was about to aim at one of the hostages, sources said. The accused, Rohit Arya, invited all of them to the studio under the pretext of an audition for a web series before he announced his intention. He was armed with an airgun. The hostage crisis that unfolded in Powai lasted three hours. Many praised Assistant Sub-Inspector Amol Waghmare, whose brave and timely action ended the hostage situation involving children between 10 and 12 years old. He has been called the "Hero of Powai" for risking his life to save the children. The police in Powai received information at 1.45 pm that a man had lured children to a studio and held them hostage. Arya, armed with an airgun that can be lethal if shot at soft tissue from close range, had installed sensors on the studio's windows to detect anyone who may try to launch a rescue. The police managed ...