Hostage Taker Killed in Dramatic Police Standoff in Powai

On November 1, 2025, a tragic incident unfolded in Powai, Mumbai, where Rohit Aarrya, a Pune resident, was shot dead by the police after he allegedly held 17 children and others, including a senior citizen, hostage.

The last rites of Aarrya were performed at the Vaikunth crematorium in Navi Peth, Pune, around 2:30 am on Saturday. According to the police, Aarrya's wife, son, brother-in-law, and other relatives were among the 10-12 people who attended the cremation. The family refused to interact with the media gathered at the crematorium.

Prior to the incident, Aarrya had lived in a rented flat in Karvenagar, Pune, until October last year. His wife had run a café in the area, but it was shut down due to poor response. In October, the couple had shifted to a flat in Kothrud, Pune, but were asked to vacate the premises within a month due to complaints from society members about their alleged inappropriate behavior.

Aarrya had alleged that the state government owed him ₹2 crore for a project named 'Swachhata Monitor,' and he had staged a protest on the Pune Union of Working Journalists building premises over the same issue around a year ago, during which he suffered a seizure and was hospitalized.