'Burst Crackers, Demanded Ransom': Elderly Woman Emerges As Unsung Hero In Mumbai Hostage Crisis
Despite injuries and Arya's threats of a bomb, Patankar comforted the children, informed parents, and remained calm until police intervention. Arya was killed, ending the three-hour ordeal.
As Mumbai reeled from the shocking hostage crisis at Powai’s RA Studio, a 67-year-old grandmother, Mangala Patankar, has emerged as an unexpected hero. Trapped inside the studio with her granddaughter and 16 other children, Patankar remained calm under pressure and played a crucial role in keeping the young hostages safe until police intervened.
The terrifying standoff unfolded at Mahavir Classic, a commercial-cum-residential complex in Powai, where 50-year-old Rohit Arya allegedly lured children for a web series audition and then held them captive for nearly three and a half hours. While police and fire brigade teams worked outside to secure the building, Patankar, injured by glass shards, quietly helped manage the situation from within.
‘He Had Planned Everything in Advance’
From her hospital bed, where she is currently being treated for head injuries, Patankar recounted the ordeal. “He left a few children with me while taking the others upstairs,” she said. “After a while, he asked me to bring the rest of the kids up too. When I reached, I saw he had covered the windows with black curtains, it was clear he had planned everything in advance.”
According to her, Arya forced four children to call their parents and demanded Rs 1 crore from each family, claiming he wanted ₹4 crore immediately. “He kept saying there was a bomb in the building,” she recalled.
Despite the threats, Patankar said Arya maintained an unsettling calm. “He was being sweet, but also dramatic. At one point, he burst Diwali firecrackers and told us that there was firing going on outside so we wouldn’t try to escape,” she said.
Calm Amid Chaos
Even amid the chaos, Patankar took charge of the frightened children, especially the girls, comforting them and keeping their parents informed. “I sent photos to the parents waiting outside so they knew their kids were safe,” she said. She also claimed that one of Arya’s associates in the studio appeared suspiciously calm and might have been involved in the plan.
Arya, who later posted a video on social media claiming the Maharashtra education department owed him ₹2 crore, was killed when police stormed the studio. Officers scaled a duct pipe to enter the building, while another constable broke in through a bathroom window and shot Arya as he allegedly attempted to harm a child.
The swift action ended a harrowing three-hour siege, but for those trapped inside, it was an experience that will not fade easily. “The children were terrified,” Patankar said softly. “All I could think of was keeping them safe until help arrived.”
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