Police in India’s Mumbai city say they have safely rescued 17 children and two adults from a man who claimed to have taken them hostage.
A police official said they received a distress call at 13:45 local time [08:15GMT] informing them that some people were being held hostage in a building.
The official said they first tried to negotiate with the hostage-taker but as he was “adamant”, they “used force” to enter the building.
He said the hostage-taker had been taken to a hospital for treatment without giving any details of his condition. Media reports, however, say he’s injured.
Reports said the incident took place at an acting school located in the Mahavir Classic building in the busy Powai neighbourhood where the children were at an audition.
Indian news channels have been running a video of the man who is heard saying he had taken the children hostage because he wanted to ask some questions of some unspecified people.
Introducing himself as Rohit Arya, he said he had “simple demands, moral demands, ethical demands and a few questions” and added that he was not a terrorist and did not want any money. He also warned that “the slightest wrong move will trigger me” and threatened to set the place on fire.
Police too have named the hostage-taker and said they were carrying out searches at the scene.
It’s not yet clear who Arya is and who are the people he wanted to speak to.
On being asked by reporters if Arya was armed, Deputy Commissioner of Police Datta Nalawade said he would be able to say more once the investigation was over.
“But we have found an air gun and some chemical there,” he said.
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