A combo image of the the kidnapper (left) and the studio wher it happened.
Credit: X
The Powai hostage drama is not the first-of-a-kind of incident in Mumbai.
Besides the 26/11 fidayeen attacks, when Pakistani terrorists took hostage people in the country’s financial capital, there had been four other incidents in the recent past.
During 26/11 attacks, terrorists had taken hostage guests at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel off the Gateway of India, Oberoi-Trident Hotel at Marine Drive and Chabad House-Nariman House at Colaba.
The terrorists also wanted to take people hostage at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai, however, they could not succeed.
Here is a look at some of the past incidents.
Railway shooting: July 21, 2023
The recent incident involves the 12956 Jaipur-Mumbai Central train shooting incident, when an escort security guard in a fit of rage went on a shooting spree killing his superior officer and three other passengers as it was passed through the Palghar district on the Western Railway (WR). The accused was identified as Chetan Singh (30), a Constable of the RPF, who was in service for around 12 years.
The officer, whom he shot was was identified as Teekaram Meena (58), ASI of RPF. The three other victims were Abdul Kadarbhai Mohammed Hussain Bhanpurwala (48), a resident of Nalasopara in Palghar, Asgar Abbas Sheikh (48), a resident of Madhubani in Bihar, and Sadar Mohammed Hussain (40).
Firing in IAF station: May 27, 2014
A jawan of the Defence Security Corps – in a fit of rage - gunned down two of his colleagues and injured two others at the Indian Air Force (IAF) station at Kalina-Santacruz. The accused, R H Yadav (49), was annoyed for being allegedly harassed and sidelined. The two deceased were identified as H K Singh (52) and Som Dutt (53) while the two injured were identified as C B Thapa (46) and Bheem Singh (51).
Similar crisis: October 27, 2008
Mumbai has witnessed a similar hostage crisis 17 years ago. A youth from Bihar, Rahul Raj was killed in a shootout with the police after he was held in a BEST bus with 12 passengers hostage in Kurla area. The 25-year-old man, who hailed from Patna, wanted to kill MNS President Raj Thackeray. The operation was led by IPS officer Sadanand Date, the Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA), who was then the Additional Commissioner of Police in Mumbai. While some said he was angry because of the agitation by the MNS against the North Indians, while some others said he was mentally unfit.
Hostage drama in airport: May 25, 2003
A CISF jawan Raj Namdeo, who shot dead his Deputy Commandant A R Karanjkar and took six of his colleagues hostage at the Mumbai airport, before surrendering. He apparently took this step after being denied leave. He was arrested and after a few months came out on bail – and vanished from the scene. No one knows about his whereabouts and he faces an arrest warrant. There were also reports that he might have come in contact with an organised crime syndicate in jail and joined them, but there is no confirmation.