Quick Response Team says Rohit Arya case wasn’t flagged as terror threat; it was the local police who led the encounter operation
Security officials at the site where people were rescued from a studio in Powai, while the man who had held them hostage succumbed to bullet injuries sustained during the operation, on Thursday. Pic/PTI
The Quick Response Team (QRT) of the Mumbai Division has clarified that it followed all standard procedures during the Powai hostage encounter, in which Rohit Arya was shot dead after holding 17 people hostage inside the RA Studio.
Officials said the incident was not initially reported as a terror threat, which is why the QRT wasn’t called to the scene immediately. The first responders were the Powai police, who began negotiations with Arya before the situation escalated into a shootout.
“Powai police were the first to receive the information and informed us in time. Since the situation was not identified as a terror attack, our team was not deployed immediately. As per protocol, QRT teams are mobilised only when a terror link is confirmed,” said DCP Vijay Lagare, Mumbai Division QRT.
DCP Vijay Lagare, Mumbai Division QRT
He added, “Multiple units — including the Special Task Force (STF) and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) — were already on-site. Powai police were negotiating with Arya, who also told them that he was not a terrorist.”
When the situation turned violent, Assistant Police Inspector (API) Amol Waghmare from the Powai Anti-Terrorism Cell opened fire in self-defence, killing Arya. Waghmare, a trained officer who undergoes tactical and firearms training every six months, had been posted at Powai for a year.
DCP Lagare added that the QRT was dispatched soon after firing was reported. “We deployed three teams — about 15 commandos in total — to support local police. Our focus was on securing the perimeter, calming panicked hostages, and ensuring their safe evacuation to hospitals,” he said.
Describing the tense operation, a police officer said, “The studio layout was complex, with narrow ducts and locked doors. Only two or three officers could enter through the toilet. As Waghmare stepped in, Arya pointed an airgun and fired into the air. Believing it to be a real weapon, Waghmare shot him in self-defence.”
Officials confirmed that all hostages were rescued safely, with no civilian casualties reported in the incident.
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