Powai Hostage Crisis: 17 Children Freed From Man Making 'Ethical Demands'

Up to 17 children were freed from a studio in Mumbai's Powai on Thursday after a man took them hostage in order to make "ethical demands." The suspect, identified as Rohit Arya, was later reported to have died due to gun-shot wounds. He sustained the injuries during an exchange of gunfire with the police.

It was reported earlier that he was mentally unwell and suicidal as well.

According to reports citing the police, he released a video stating that he wanted to speak to a few people and ask them questions, and if he was not allowed to do so, he would set the building on fire, burning himself and the children.

In his video statement, Arya said that he was not a terrorist and wouldn't demand a lot of money, but that he had simple and ethical demands where he wanted to question certain people.

"I am Rohit Arya. Instead of dying by suicide, I have made a plan and am holding some children hostage here. I don't have many demands; I have very simple demands, moral demands, ethical demands, and a few questions," Arya said in a video cited by NDTV.

"I want to talk to some people, ask them questions, and if I have counter-questions to their answers, I want to ask them back. But I want these answers. I don't want anything else. I'm not a terrorist, nor do I demand a lot of money, and I certainly don't want anything immoral," Arya continued.

The children were held hostage in Powai's RA Studio, in broad daylight, according to reports. Arya reportedly works at the studio and also runs his own YouTube channel.