Rohit Arya from Pune, Killed in Mumbai Hostage Incident, Had Staged Hunger Strike Last Year
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Kothrud, 30th October 2025: Rohit Arya, the young man who was shot dead by police after taking 17 children hostage during a selection test in Mumbai’s Powai area, had previously made headlines in Pune last year when he went on a hunger strike.
In August 2024, Arya had launched an indefinite hunger strike in Pune, alleging irregularities in the state’s ‘My School, Beautiful School’ project. He claimed to be the designer of the initiative, which aimed to promote cleanliness and environmental awareness in schools across Maharashtra. Arya had accused the authorities of denying him the funds approved for the project and omitting his name from official records.
According to sources, Arya’s hunger strike continued for around 12 days near the residence of then School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar. After receiving no response from the administration, Arya had declared his intent to intensify the protest. However, he suddenly fell ill due to physical weakness and food deprivation, prompting those present to rush him to a hospital.
Local residents recalled that Arya frequently protested outside Kesarkar’s residence, demanding recognition and financial support from the Education Department for his project.
Arya’s family resides in Kothrud, Pune, where he lived until 2017 before moving to Mumbai. Locals said he would often visit Pune to meet his parents. Following his death in police firing, a Mumbai Police team visited his Pune residence for inquiry, but found the house locked. Police personnel have since been deployed outside the premises for security reasons.
Former education minister Deepak Kesarkar said, “Rohit Arya was running a scheme called Swachha Monitor. He had participated in a government campaign. In that regard, the department had alleged that he directly collected fees from some children. However, Rohit Arya claimed that he had not taken any such fee. He should have communicated with the department and resolved the issue. It was wrong to take children hostage in this manner.”
Kesarkar further added, “When I was the education minister, I had personally helped him and even gave him money through a cheque. But all formalities have to be completed for government payments. Therefore, I don’t think his claim of ₹2 crore due from the government is correct. He should have verified the matter with the department and submitted the required documents. Anyone seeking payment from the government must prove that the work was actually done. The government funds do not vanish; they are disbursed according to procedure. I had extended financial help to him personally, but when working on a government project, one must submit documents and get their bills cleared as per rules.”
