Food stocks, fuel and a fake film: Inside the Mumbai hostage-taker’s chilling plan

The hostage crisis in Mumbai’s Powai on Thursday was not an impulsive act but a carefully plotted plan by short filmmaker Rohit Arya, who lured 17 teenagers to a studio under the guise of shooting a web series and then held them captive. The standoff ended within hours after police shot Arya dead, rescuing all hostages unharmed — but evidence now shows he was prepared for a much longer siege.

How Rohit Arya prepared the hostage plot

Planned days in advance:
Arya first invited the children for auditions last week and began what appeared to be a regular shoot on October 26. For three days, everything seemed normal. But on Tuesday, he began blacking out the studio windows, telling parents and crew that sunlight was disrupting filming, according to families of the hostages.

Stockpiled supplies for a prolonged standoff:
Investigators found that Arya had stocked enough food to keep the captives fed for days. He had also fixed the studio’s broken door latch and installed motion sensors to detect any forced entry.

CCTV surveillance:
Multiple cameras had been placed around the studio, with Arya monitoring them through his phone, effectively turning the set into a controlled prison.

Fake ‘film’ storyline to avoid suspicion:
To keep everyone convinced, Arya claimed he was making a film about children rebelling against corruption, which required a staged kidnapping scene. His assistant, Rohan Raj Aher — also taken hostage — said Arya had pitched him the same concept.

Parents misled till the last minute:
On the day of the incident, Arya told parents he was shooting the “kidnapping scene” and even taped the children’s faces. When the kids weren’t allowed out for lunch, he sent a video to a parent declaring that he had taken them hostage.

Flammable materials and threats:
Arya had asked his assistant to bring petrol and firecrackers, and had already spread flammable liquid across the studio floor. He reportedly threatened to set the place on fire while holding four children close by.

Aher, who was trapped on a lower floor, eventually helped police gain access to the studio. During the final confrontation, Arya was shot dead, bringing the tense hostage situation to an end.