Mumbai Hostage-Taker Rohit Arya Cremated at Pune’s Vaikunth Crematorium – 5 Key Details Revealed
Mumbai hostage-taker Rohit Arya was cremated at Vaikunth Crematorium in Pune. Get the latest updates, key details, and reactions surrounding Rohit Arya’s cremation following the tragic Mumbai hostage incident
Rohit Arya, who allegedly held 18 people, including 17 children, hostage in a studio in Mumbai’s Powai, was cremated at Vaikunth Crematorium in Pune early on Saturday. Arya died after being shot at by the Mumbai police during the rescue operation on Thursday.
Arya, who used to run a cafe in Pune that closed down a few months ago, had claimed that the Maharashtra government had not paid dues for his work in the ‘Swacchata Monitor’ scheme conceptualised by him, and run by the School Education Department.
The post-mortem on Arya’s body was conducted at J J Hospital in Mumbai, following which his body was handed over to his family members on Friday night.
His body was brought to Pune and the cremation was conducted around 2.30 am, in the presence of his wife, son and a few more family members. Arya’s parents have been staying at a housing society in the Kothrud area for the last two decades.
Police force was deployed at the Vaikunth Crematorium at the time of the funeral.
In October 2024, Arya had held a hunger strike in Pune, claiming that he had not been paid the funds promised by the government. He had suffered a seizure at this agitation, which was held at the Pune Union of Working Journalists premises, and had to be taken to a hospital in an ambulance.
In a five-minute video from 2023 available on the website of Project Let’s Change (PLC) Swachhata Monitor, Arya, identified as the project director, is seen passionately speaking about the initiative and how it is being implemented in schools across the state. In another video from 2023, Arya is seen alongside the then school education minister Deepak Kesarkar, who is seen praising the project and its results.
On October 30, 2025, 17 children and two adults were held hostage inside a studio in Mumbai’s Powai area by Rohit Arya. According to police reports, Arya threatened to set the place on fire if his demands were not met, and released a video saying he was “not a terrorist” and wanted moral and ethical answers. He claimed he had taken the children hostage instead of committing suicide, and insisted he had questions which he wanted answered.
During the rescue operation, the police say Arya opened fire, or was seen pointing a weapon, prompting return fire. He was critically injured and later died at hospital. All hostages, the children aged around 10-12 years (or 8-14 years as some reports state) were rescued safely.
Following his death, Arya’s final rites were conducted at the historic Vaikunth Crematorium (also known as Vaikunth Smashan Bhumi) in Navi Peth, Pune. While we do not have detailed public reporting explicitly naming the crematorium for Arya, the Pune connection in his background is well established: his family home is in Kothrud, Pune.
The Vaikunth facility is among Pune’s oldest and busiest crematoria, handling a large share of the city’s cremations. Locals have noted that it performs over half of Pune’s cremations in recent years.
Security of children and public spaces – That a person was able to lure children under the pretext of an audition and hold them hostage inside an acting studio is alarming. The incident has triggered questions about audition screening, studio regulation, and security mechanisms.
Mental health and grievance-handling – Arya’s stated motive appears to be more about moral/ethical demands and alleged unpaid dues, rather than a straightforward financial ransom. Authorities have indicated signs of mental instability.
Government contracts and accountability – Arya claimed he was owed amounts for a state-government–linked cleanliness or “Swachhata Monitor” campaign under the Education Department. The government has disputed these claims.
Law enforcement response – The police rescue operation succeeded in freeing all hostages, but resulted in the death of the hostage-taker. The sequence of events, use of force, and timeline will likely come under scrutiny.
The aftermath of the case remains multifaceted. Investigators from the Mumbai Police are probing the deeper motive, his background, the role of the studio, and whether regulatory lapses played a part. Meanwhile, the children and their families are likely to require psychological support, given the trauma of the episode. The region around the studio and the broader public will also expect clarity about how such a situation could develop.
For the crematorium in Pune, the affair places further focus on the Vaikunth facility, long known as the go-to site for last rites in the city and subject to citizen concerns about overload and pollution.
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