The High Court on Tuesday refused to hear a petition claiming that the encounter of Rohit Arya, who held a total of 19 people, including 17 children, hostage in a Powai-based studio, was fake to fulfill pending demands.
Petitioner Shobha Buddhiwant had also demanded an investigation into the matter by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The petition came up for hearing on Tuesday before a bench of Justice Ajay Gadkari and Justice Ranjitsinh Bhosale. At that time, a written complaint was sent to the police before filing the petition, lawyer Nitin Satpute told the court on behalf of the petitioners. Also, since the police refused to take cognizance of the complaint, a request was made to the High Court to take suo motu cognizance of the matter. On that, the documents sent to the court were in the form of notices.
The court said that as per the law, the petitioners are allowed to file a private complaint in this matter. Similarly, the court refused to hear the petition, explaining that this matter does not fall within the definition of a public interest litigation. The petitioners then informed the court that they were withdrawing the petition. The court accepted this.
The petitioner had claimed in the petition that the police had staged a fake encounter with Arya on the pretext of self-defense and revenge, at the behest of a political leader. Arya was under mental stress due to the state government not paying his dues. That is why he plotted to keep these children hostage. The petition also questioned the police's statement that Arya first fired at the police with his air gun. Also, if the police's argument is accepted, the police were expected to shoot Arya below the waist in retaliation. However, he was shot in the chest. Therefore, the petition demanded a CBI investigation into the matter.
Who was Rohit Arya?
Rohit Arya was a Mumbai-based filmmaker and entrepreneur who had previously worked on a Maharashtra government cleanliness project called “Swachhata Monitor.” In late October 2025, he made headlines after luring 19 people,17 of them children to a Powai studio under the pretext of a film audition, only to hold them hostage. During the tense standoff, Arya posted videos claiming he was not a terrorist but wanted “moral and ethical answers” from authorities over unpaid government dues he said were owed to him.
The police eventually stormed the studio, rescuing all hostages unharmed, but Arya was shot during the operation and later died of his injuries. A subsequent plea alleging his death was a fake encounter was dismissed by the Bombay High Court, and the Maharashtra government continues to deny owing him any money. The case has sparked nationwide debate on mental health, accountability, and the handling of hostage situations.
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