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Journalism of Courage
Rohit Arya, who allegedly held 18 people, including 17 children, hostage in a studio in Mumbai’s Powai, was cremated at Vaikunth Crematorium in Pune early on Saturday. Arya died after being shot at by the Mumbai police during the rescue operation on Thursday.
Arya, who used to run a cafe in Pune that closed down a few months ago, had claimed that the Maharashtra government had not paid dues for his work in the ‘Swacchata Monitor’ scheme conceptualised by him, and run by the School Education Department.
The post-mortem on Arya’s body was conducted at J J Hospital in Mumbai, following which his body was handed over to his family members on Friday night.
His body was brought to Pune and the cremation was conducted around 2.30 am, in the presence of his wife, son and a few more family members. Arya’s parents have been staying at a housing society in the Kothrud area for the last two decades.
Police force was deployed at the Vaikunth Crematorium at the time of the funeral.
In October 2024, Arya had held a hunger strike in Pune, claiming that he had not been paid the funds promised by the government. He had suffered a seizure at this agitation, which was held at the Pune Union of Working Journalists premises, and had to be taken to a hospital in an ambulance.
In a five-minute video from 2023 available on the website of Project Let’s Change (PLC) Swachhata Monitor, Arya, identified as the project director, is seen passionately speaking about the initiative and how it is being implemented in schools across the state. In another video from 2023, Arya is seen alongside the then school education minister Deepak Kesarkar, who is seen praising the project and its results.
