Rohit Aarrya, the individual responsible for holding 17 children captive in Mumbai under the pretense of a web series audition, had a prior career working with major television channels. This revelation comes from his assistant, Rohan Aher, who has been cooperating with the police investigation.
Aher, who has worked with Aarrya since 2012, stated, “He had worked with various big TV channels and had gained my confidence.” The crime branch has recorded Aher’s statement and visited the scene to reconstruct the events.
What Rohit Aarrya’s Assistant Told the Police
According to Aher, Aarrya had initially pitched the idea of a short film about children rebelling against corruption, which would include a kidnapping scene. Aher believes this was a calculated move to camouflage Aarrya’s actual plans for the hostage situation that later unfolded.
Aarrya had reportedly made extensive preparations for the incident, including stocking food for the children in anticipation of a prolonged standoff. He also ensured the studio’s door latch was repaired and strategically placed CCTV cameras to stream footage directly to his phone, suggesting a meticulous and pre-meditated plan.
“We were out of touch for a long time, but he called me recently and offered me this assignment. He told me he wanted to make a short film on children’s rebellion against corruption and there was a scene in which children would be kidnapped,” Aher recounted.
Hostage Parent’s Account
Sachin Jadhav, the father of one of the young hostages, shared that the shooting for the purported film began on Sunday, October 26. He mentioned that Aarrya had approved his daughter’s participation after seeing her video submission via WhatsApp, noting that she had previously acted in several short films.
Mangala Patankar, Jadhav’s mother-in-law, who was also held hostage as she accompanied the children, described the initial days as normal. The children would arrive at the studio around 9 am, with breaks for lunch at 1:30 pm and shooting concluding by 5 pm.
However, by Tuesday or Wednesday, Aarrya’s behavior changed. He began covering the studio windows with black paper, claiming it was to improve the shoot by blocking sunlight. He also reportedly placed photos of the children on the windows.
A police officer revealed that on Thursday, Aarrya informed the parents about a planned kidnapping scene, even covering the children’s faces with tape. The situation escalated when the children did not emerge for lunch and expressed hunger. At that point, Aarrya sent a video message to one of the parents, declaring that all the children inside were being held hostage.
(With inputs from Vinay Dalvi in Mumbai)