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Mumbai: Rohit Arya, a self-proclaimed filmmaker, had taken 19 people hostage in Mumbai, including 17 children, on Thursday. As the drama unfolded, the Mumbai Police acted swiftly and rescued all the hostages safely. The accused, Rohit Arya, however, was injured in a police operation as the cops tried to handle the situation. He was rushed to the hospital but couldn't survive. Rohit Arya, after taking people hostage in Mumbai's Powai area, had released an over-a-minute-long video in which he demanded to speak to someone and question them. He said that once his conversation was held, he would come out. However, in his video, accused Rohit did not reveal whom he wanted to question. Whom Rohit Arya Wanted To Speak To? As per preliminary investigation, Mumbai Police has revealed that he wanted to speak to the former Maharashtra Education Minister over some issues. Cops said Rohit Arya wanted to speak to former Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar regarding some issues he had with the department. What Deepak Kesarkar Said on Rohit Arya? According to PTI, former Maharashtra School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said he had given financial help to Rohit Arya, who died in a police operation earlier in the day. Who Is Rohit Arya and What Was His Relation With Maharashtra Education Department? Rohit Arya 50, who had been a project director in an initiative run by the education department, took money from school students through a website and the department had taken objection to it, said the Shiv Sena leader. Notably, Arya had staged a protest in Pune last year for his 'pending dues' from the education department. He had met Arya and even offered him financial help after Arya complained that the department had defaulted on a payment due to him, Kesarkar said, speaking to reporters after the hostage drama ended. The Mumbai Police rescued 20 persons including 17 children, 2 women and one man from a studio in Powai while Arya, who had held them hostage, succumbed to bullet injuries sustained during the operation. As per a government resolution of the School Education department dated January 25, 2024, Arya was the director of Project Let's Change which ran the Swachhta Monitor initiative from July 20 to October 2, 2023. Under the initiative, school students were to act as Swachhta (cleanliness) monitors and discourage people from spitting and littering in public places. Around 64,000 schools and 59 lakh students participated in it. The second phase of the initiative was carried out under the 'Mukhyamantri Majhi Shala, Sundar Shala' scheme for which Rs 20.63 crore was sanctioned. Of this sum, Rs 2 crore was sanctioned for Swachhta Monitor phase 2, handled by Arya. "I did not default on anyone's payment. I helped him through a cheque out of courtesy. The department was of the view that he took money directly from students by opening a website. The department has sought an explanation from him which was necessary," Kesarkar said. Arya could have demanded money from the government and given explanation for taking money from students, the former minister said, adding, "I met him since he used to run the Swachhta campaign." What Did Rohit Arya Demand in Chilling Video After Taking Children Hostage? In a video released before the police intervened, Arya said he had taken children hostage as part of a plan, and all he wanted was to have a "conversation" and ask questions to some people. Arya had staged an "indefinite strike" in Pune last year for his pending dues, during which he suffered an epileptic attack and was rushed to a hospital by bystanders. His wife, Anjali Arya, had told mediapersons that her husband had been fighting to get the pending payment for his project. "He was the project head for the PLC Swachhta Monitor. Kesarkar saheb liked the project and told him that the state government was sanctioning Rs 2 crore for it. The entire project was completed, but no funds were paid to Rohit. He did not even get recognition," she had alleged. With inputs from PTI Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Mumbai, India and around the world.
