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Powai Hostage case | Do whatever with me, don’t do anything to the children: Senior inspector recalls toughest 80 minutes of his career

The children were united with their parents and all of them were put in a school bus and sent to the hospital for treatment.

Written by: Manish Kumar Pathak, Mohamed Thaver

5 min readMumbaiUpdated: Oct 31, 2025 07:29 AM IST

Powai studio hostage case: senior officer said the children aged between 10 to 12 years were at the studio for an audition. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

IT WAS one of the toughest 80 minutes that senior inspector Jitendra Sonawane has spent in his career as he kept Rohit Arya engaged on the phone even as a team of fire brigade officials and cops were making a stealthy entry from the sidelines.

It was around 2.19pm on Thursday that Sonawane received a call from the Mahavir Classik building in Powai about the abduction. As he reached the nine-storey building, he saw children across the transparent plastic wall on the first floor gesturing for help.

“I tried talking to Arya and shouted out asking him what he wanted. He asked me to give my mobile number and called me,” Sonawane told The Indian Express.

Arya told Sonawane that he had lost money and had not been paid for some work he had done. Sonawane told him that all issues would be resolved and he didn’t have to take any extreme step. He kept requesting Arya to allow him to come up and tried to pacify him. “ If you think I will do anything, I will tie my hands and come. Do whatever you have to do to me. Don’t do anything to the children,” Sonawane told him.

As Sonawane kept Arya engaged in converstaion, two fire brigade officials and two cops entered the building from the back aide. Along with Sonawane, DCP Datta Nalawade too spoke to Arya and tried to convince him to let the children go.

The senior inspector who was seated outside the building where the incident took place said he was having goosebumps just recalling the incident.

A fire brigade official involved in the operation told The Indian Express, “We put a ladder to the bathroom window. As Arya was busy talking to the senior inspector, threatening the youngsters with the gun, we cut the grill without him realizing,” the official said.

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“We stepped behind and allowed the two cops to enter the house through the window. What we heard next was an exchange of fire and that was the end of the operation,” said the fire brigade official.

The children were united with their parents and all of them were put in a school bus and sent to the hospital for treatment.

Sachin Jadhav, father of a 10-year-old girl held hostage, said, “My daughter usually gets intimidated so either her mother or I always accompany her during an audition, never leave her alone. She is under tremendous shock.”

“Luckily, when the hostage situation took place, my mother in-law was with her and was rescued with the others,” added Jadhav, whose daughter is a child artist and has worked in several television serials like Sant Gajanan Maharaj.

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Jadhav and his wife came from Kolhapur to Mumbai four days ago for their daughter’s audition. They stayed at their in-law’s house in Thane and were visiting Powai everyday in the morning. Thursday was the final day of the audition.

“I, along with my wife, daughter and mother in-law reached the studio at 10am. My daughter and 75-year-old mother in-law were inside the studio while we were waiting outside the building. Some of the parents were inside the building and sitting in the parking area,” said Jadhav.

Generally, the kids come out around 1pm to have lunch. On Thursday, however, when they did not come out till 1.30pm, the parents got worried. “We realized what was happening inside when the children started shouting for help and then called the police,” he said.

During the rescue, Jadhav’s mother in-law sustained a cut injury near her ribs from the broken glass. The police rushed her to the nearby Nirali hospital. She got three to four stitches,” said Jadhav.

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Initially, the residents of B, C and D wings did not understand what was happening in A-wing. “Suddenly, more than 50 policemen came along with fire brigade officials with all equipment and they started cutting the grill,” said a resident of the B wing.

“We were all stopped near C wing. As more time passed, parents started becoming restless. When the policemen brought the children down, the parents heaved a sigh of relief. The children were in shock and some of them were not even able to utter a word,” said the B-wing resident.

“Auditions happen here everyday and several children come. However, we will not be able to forget this day,” said a resident of A-wing.

Manish Kumar Pathak

Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates substantial Expertise and Authority across the complex field of crime reporting, with a strong focus on law enforcement actions, fraud, and cyber security challenges facing the metropolitan region. Expertise & Authority Affiliation: Reports for the nationally recognized daily, The Indian Express, providing his content with high Trustworthiness. Geographical Focus: Provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of breaking news and investigative matters across Mumbai and the surrounding regions (e.g., Thane, Vasai). Core Authority: His reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial beats, including: Cyber & Financial Crime: Extensive coverage of sophisticated scams, including cases involving high-value cyber fraud, stock market manipulation scams, and fraudsters using government figures to gain trust. Law Enforcement & Investigation: Reports directly on major police actions, including arrests made by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in fraud cases (e.g., MHADA flat scams) and detailed coverage of murder and kidnapping investigations. Major Incidents & Public Safety: Covers significant incidents like building collapses, road accidents, and public safety issues such as theft at large public events. Defence & Maritime: Also covers key updates regarding the Indian Navy, including the commissioning of new vessels and strategic defense announcements. Manish Kumar Pathak's consistent focus on crime, fraud, and the workings of the Mumbai police system establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for critical news in Western India. ... Read More

Mohamed Thaver

Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the Expertise and Authority required to report on complex law enforcement and legal issues. With a career dedicated to the crime beat for over a decade, his work provides readers with informed and trustworthy insights into Maharashtra's security and justice systems. Experience & Authority Core Focus: Has been exclusively covering the crime beat for over a decade, building deep, specialized knowledge in the field. Geographical Authority: Currently focuses heavily on law enforcement and policy in Maharashtra, providing authoritative coverage of the state's security apparatus. Key Beats: Law Enforcement: Reports on the operations of the Maharashtra Police and the Mumbai Crime Branch. Policy & Administration: Covers the Maharashtra Home Department, focusing on policy matters related to handling law and order and the evolution of the police force. Judiciary: Has significant past experience covering the courts, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the entire criminal justice process from investigation to verdict. Specialized Interest (Cyber & Forensics): Demonstrates Expertise in modern investigative techniques, with a keen focus on cyber crime and forensics, reporting on how these technologies assist complex crime investigations. Content Focus: His reports revolve around police probes, the evolution of the force, and state policy, ensuring his content is highly relevant and detailed. Credentials & Trustworthiness Mohamed Thaver’s long-standing specialization in the crime beat—combined with his focus on technological aspects like cyber crime and his direct coverage of major institutions like the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Maharashtra Home Department—underscores his Trustworthiness and status as an expert source for detailed and reliable journalism on law and order. He tweets @thaver_mohamed ... Read More

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