India, Oct. 30 -- In a major security scare, 20 children were briefly held hostage in Mumbai's Powai area, leading to panic and prompting the authorities to launch a rescue operation.

The dramatic situation unfolded at RA Studio near the L&T building in Mumbai on Thursday afternoon, where the children had been called for an 'audition', PTI reported.

The authorities said they received a call at around 3 pm and that 20 children were held hostage in the building. The Mumbai Fire Brigade launched a rescue operation, where they used hydraulic tools to cut open the grills and make way for the police.

The Mumbai Police said that the accused has been identified as Rohit Arya and he was taken into custody. The police said that Arya seemed to be...