From bus siege to Powai studio drama: Mumbai’s troubled history of hostage crises

Mumbai: The tense hostage situation in Powai on Thursday where 17 children and two adults were rescued after a three-hour standoff has revived memories of past sieges that once gripped Mumbai. The financial capital, though resilient, has faced several dramatic hostage incidents over the years that have tested its police force’s negotiation skills and crisis response.

The latest episode unfolded around 1:30 pm on Thursday when Powai police received an alert that a man, identified as Rohit Arya (50), had taken 17 children hostage at RA Studio in the Mahavir Classic building. The children, aged between 10 and 12, had gathered for a web series audition. Police teams swiftly cordoned off the area, and after hours of negotiation, all hostages were rescued unharmed. Arya later died from a bullet injury sustained during police action.

Officials described the incident as one of the first in recent years where a large group of children were held captive in the city.

However, this was not the first time Mumbai has been held “hostage.” The city has witnessed several such crises in the past:

In March 2010, a retired customs officer, Harish Marolia, took a 14-year-old girl, Himani, hostage in his Andheri (West) flat after a dispute with members of his housing society. Marolia had fired in the air before locking himself in with the girl. The situation ended tragically when he shot the teenager, prompting police to retaliate, killing him on the spot.

Earlier, in November 2008, a 25-year-old gunman from Bihar, Rahul Raj, hijacked a double-decker BEST bus travelling from Andheri to Kurla. Claiming he wanted to “kill” MNS chief Raj Thackeray, Raj held passengers at gunpoint before being gunned down by police near Bail Bazar.

“Saving lives and ensuring minimal damage are always the top priorities,” said assistant commissioner of police Shailni Sharma, who was trained in London after the 26/11 terror attacks to handle hostage negotiations. Sharma, Mumbai Police’s first woman officer to receive specialised training in crisis management, has also trained NSG commandos in the same field.

Sharma recalled that during the 2010 Andheri incident, she was called in to negotiate but the situation escalated before talks could proceed. Over the years, she has successfully intervened in suicide prevention cases and managed volatile protests through dialogue.

(with inputs from agencies)