Mumbai hostage drama: Who is Amol Waghmare? Cop who shot captor Rohit Arya, works with Anti-Terrorism Cell

The three-hour hostage drama in Powai yesterday may have ended with captor Rohit Arya being killed in the police operation, and the authorities safely rescuing 17 children and two adults, but the cops insist that “shooting him was never part of the plan”.

 

Arya, 50, sustained a fatal bullet injury during the operation, and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The drama began around 1:30pm when Powai police received an urgent call about a person having taken 17 children hostage inside RA Studio, in the Mahavir Classic building in Mumbai. The children, boys and girls aged between 10 and 12, had come for an audition for a web series – it had been going on for the past six days. Parents grew concerned when their children did not come out for their usual lunch break on Thursday.

 

Arya, who had previously protested in Pune over alleged unpaid dues from a Maharashtra education department project, was identified as the captor. He released a video explaining his actions, and claimed his motive was to highlight his grievances regarding the pending payments, saying he chose this drastic measure instead of committing suicide. He explicitly stated he was "not a terrorist" and had "no demand for money". However, he issued a stern warning, threatening to set the studio on fire if authorities made a "wrong move”.

 

The Mumbai Police swiftly mobilised specialised teams, including NSG commandos, a Quick Response Team (QRT), the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, and the Fire Brigade. Negotiators attempted to reason with Arya, who was carrying chemicals and an airgun that can be lethal if shot at soft tissue from close range.

 

But when talks failed, a police team accessed the studio through a bathroom, with the Fire Brigade providing a ladder to reach a first-floor window. "It was a challenging operation," Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade said, emphasising that saving the children was their top priority.

 

Upon seeing the cops, Arya reportedly rushed towards them armed with the airgun. Assistant Sub-Inspector Amol Waghmare, who is now being hailed as the "Hero of Powai", instinctively pulled the trigger, reportedly hitting him on the chest.

 

Mid-Day quoted a senior officer from the Powai police’s shootout team as saying that shooting Arya was never part of the plan. They kept talking to Arya, agreeing to his demands to keep him calm, he said. “We then entered through the duct area up to the first floor and made our way into the studio. As soon as we entered, Arya rushed toward us. Our first priority was to save the children. One of our officers fired — it was a split-second decision,” he told Mid-Day.

 

Another officer told the daily that Waghmare, who works with the Anti-Terrorism Cell (ATC) at Powai police station, “is a quiet officer, well-trained in firearms”. “Every six months, officers undergo refresher training to decide when to fire and when to hold back. In this case, Arya’s intent was clearly dangerous; he was carrying an air gun and chemical substances,” the officer told Mid-Day.

 

All 17 children, along with a senior citizen and another adult, were successfully rescued, with Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanaranyan confirming the children's safety around 4:15pm, and Arya’s death at 5:15pm.

India