Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has categorically distanced itself from claims made by Rohit Arya, the Mumbai-based filmmaker who held 19 people, including 17 children, hostage in Powai on Thursday. Arya, who was killed in a police operation to rescue the hostages, had earlier alleged in a video that the state owed him Rs 2 crore for his company’s work on an urban sanitation initiative.
Rohit Arya’s Claim of Pending Payment
Before the tragic standoff, Arya had released a video stating that he was seeking “simple, moral, and ethical answers” from authorities. He claimed his firm, Apsara Media Entertainment Network, had not been paid for its involvement in an urban cleanliness project.
According to Arya, the alleged dues were linked to Project Let’s Change, a sanitation awareness campaign carried out in partnership with government agencies.
Government Confirms Limited Engagement with Arya’s Firm
Hours after the hostage crisis ended, the Maharashtra Education Department issued a detailed statement confirming that Apsara Media had been selected to implement parts of Project Let’s Change in 2022 and 2023. The initiative aimed to instil cleanliness habits among school students, designating 59 lakh students as ‘swachhata (cleanliness) monitors.’
As part of this collaboration, a sum of Rs 9.9 lakh was released through a government order dated June 30, 2023. Later, during the 2023–24 financial year, the project was extended under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Shala Sundar Shala programme, with a total budget of Rs 20.63 crore allocated, including Rs 2 crore earmarked for activities linked to cleanliness monitors.
However, officials clarified that Arya’s submissions for funding were incomplete and contained inflated cost estimates for advertising, manpower, technical support, and the screening of his documentary Let’s Change. “Due to these technical gaps, the scheme could not be implemented,” the department said.
Unauthorised Fund Collection by Arya
The government further revealed that Arya had collected money from schools as a ‘registration fee’ for participating in the cleanliness programme. The Education Department and Minister Dadaji Bhuse confirmed that Arya was not authorised to seek or receive funds from schools or any other entity.
“Certain procedures such as tenders, terms, and conditions are mandatory for government projects. However, in this case, no such formalities were followed. The private firm collected money from schools, which is not permissible under government norms,” Minister Bhuse said.
Following this discovery, Arya was instructed in August 2023 to deposit the collected funds into a government account. He was also informed that his proposal for continuing the ‘swachhata monitors’ initiative would not be processed until the funds were returned and an affidavit was filed assuring that such collections would not be repeated.
The filmmaker did not comply with these directives, the government said.
Project Stalled After Change in Administration
After the 2023 Assembly elections and the reinstatement of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister in the BJP-led Mahayuti government, the Let’s Change initiative was formally disbanded. The Education Department confirmed that the project was no longer active and that no funds were pending towards Apsara Media or Rohit Arya.
Arya’s wife, Anjali Arya, later told the media that her husband had been fighting for both recognition and the Rs 2 crore he believed was sanctioned for his work. However, the state maintains that no such payment was approved or pending, citing procedural violations and financial irregularities in the documentation submitted.
The tragic end to the Powai hostage incident has now cast a grim shadow over what began as a government partnership for urban sanitation awareness, raising questions about oversight, accountability, and mental health support for individuals engaged in public projects.
