Mumbai: Mumbai’s slain hostage-taker Rohit Arya was extremely cautious about his security and had converted his Powai-based RA Studio into a virtual fortress, probably, to keep the victims in confinement for several days, said a top Mumbai Police source on Friday.
Arya’s fetish for securing himself and the premises was visible from the fact that he had armed himself with an air gun, electroshock weapon and self-defence stick, in addition to a host of security gadgetry, the police said.
A day after the hostage drama ended in Arya’s killing in police firing and the safe release of 17 young acting auditioners and two others, the police inspected Arya’s office and found signs of a possible plan to keep the victims in illegal confinement for several days.
Apart from motion detectors and a central shutter lock, the premises had been fortified by the 50-year-old filmmaker to prevent the entry of outsiders or to control the exit of occupants of the office, said a police official.
“The stairs and the room where the children were held hostage were laced with motion sensors and CCTV cameras capable of recording audio-video footage,” said the police, adding that the air gun with which he attacked the police was also recovered after the brief shootout on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Pune-resident Arya’s wife Anjali alleged systemic injustice and reiterated the slain filmmaker’s claim that the Maharashtra government’s Education Department owed him over Rs 2 crore for an urban sanitation and cleanliness drive led by his company Apsara Media Entertainment Network.
Anjali told reporters that her husband was fighting to recover the promised money and recognition for his work.
Maharashtra School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse said that a detailed report has been sought from the department regarding Arya’s allegations that he was cheated by the Education Department, and the state government owed him Rs 2 crore.
School Education Secretary Ranjit Singh Deol clarified there was no agreement to pay Rohit Arya Rs 2 crore for the project.
“He volunteered for the work and was awarded a certificate for his work. Subsequently, he was in discussions with the state government to implement the ‘My Shala, Sundar Shala’ programme, but that failed to materialise. The Maharashtra government does not owe Rohit Arya any dues,” he said.
Former State School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar also commented on the matter.
“When I was the School Education Minister, I personally helped Rohit Arya. I gave him the money by cheque. But all the formalities have to be completed for the government’s payment. Therefore, I do not think his claim that I should get Rs 2 crore is right. He should have confirmed with the department and submitted the relevant documents,” Kesarkar said.
“Rohit Arya was running a scheme called ‘Swachha Monitor’. He had participated in the government’s campaign. In that regard, the department said that he had directly collected fees from some children. But Arya said that he had not collected any such fee. He should have spoken to the department and resolved the issue. It is wrong to hold children hostage like this,” he remarked.
(IANS)
