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Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) Slain Mumbai hostage taker Rohit Arya was extremely cautious about his safety and had converted his Powai-based RA studio into a virtual fort to keep his victims captive for days, a top Mumbai Police source said on Friday.
Police said Arya’s obsession with keeping himself and the premises safe was visible from the fact that he had armed himself with an air gun, electroshock weapon and self-defense stick, apart from several other safety equipment.
A day after the hostage drama ended with the killing of Arya in police firing and the safe release of 17 young acting auditioners and two others, police inspected Arya’s office and found indications 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 were strengthened by the 50-year-old filmmaker to prevent entry of outsiders or control the exit of office occupants, a police officer said.
“The stairs and the room where the children were held hostage were fitted with motion sensors and CCTV cameras capable of recording audio-video footage,” police said. The air gun with which he attacked the police has also been recovered after a brief exchange of fire on Thursday, he said.
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 more than Rs 2 crore for the urban sanitation and cleanliness drive led by his company Apsara Media Entertainment Network.
Anjali told reporters that her husband was struggling to get the promised money and recognition for his work.
Maharashtra School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse said a detailed report has been sought from the department regarding Arya’s allegations that he has been cheated by the education department and owes Rs 2 crore to the state government.
School Education Secretary Ranjit Singh Deol clarified that there is no agreement on paying Rs 2 crore to Rohit Arya for the project.
He said, “He volunteered for this work and was awarded a certificate for his work. Subsequently, he was in discussion with the state government to implement the ‘Mera Shala, Sundar Shala’ programme, but it could not succeed. Rohit Arya does not owe anything to the Maharashtra government.”
Former school education minister of the state Deepak Kesarkar also commented on this matter.
Kesarkar said, “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 to make the payment. So, I don’t think his claim that I should get Rs 2 crore is correct. He should have confirmed with the department and submitted the relevant documents.”
He said, “Rohit Arya was running a scheme called ‘Swachh Monitor’. He had participated in the government’s campaign. In this regard, the department said that he had collected fees directly from some children. But Arya said that he had not taken any such fees. He should have talked to the department and resolved the matter. It is wrong to hold children hostage like this.”
–IANS
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