The Maharashtra government has refuted claims made by Rohit Arya, who was shot dead by police on Thursday after taking 19 people, including 17 children hostage in Mumbai’s Powai area. Arya had released a video asserting that the state owed him ₹2 crore for his company’s work on an urban sanitation and cleanliness initiative. He described his demands as “simple, moral, and ethical”, though he did not provide clear details.
In response, the state’s Education Department issued a late-night statement distancing itself from Arya’s claims. Officials confirmed that Arya and his firm, Apsara Media Entertainment Network, had been engaged in 2022 and 2023 for Project Let’s Change, a campaign designed to promote urban sanitation. Under the project, around 59 lakh students were appointed as “swachhata” (cleanliness) monitors. The government initially disbursed ₹9.9 lakh through an order issued on 30 June 2023.
The second phase, intended for the 2023–24 period, was to be implemented under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Shala Sundar Shala programme. A total of ₹20.63 crore was sanctioned, including ₹2 crore earmarked for the cleanliness monitor component.
However, the Education Department stated that Arya’s documentation for this phase was incomplete. Officials pointed out that his proposal contained inflated estimates for advertising, manpower, technical support, and screenings of his Let’s Change documentary. “Due to these technical deficiencies, the scheme could not be implemented,” the department clarified.
In 2024, Arya submitted a fresh proposal seeking ₹2.42 crore and the reintroduction of the cleanliness programme across all schools in Maharashtra. During the review, officials reportedly discovered that Arya had been collecting registration fees from participating schools in his role as Project Director, a move the government said was unauthorised.
Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse explained that government projects must follow strict procedures, including tenders and formal conditions. “In this case, no such procedures were followed, and the private firm collected money from schools, which is not permitted under government regulations,” he told reporters.
According to the department, Arya was instructed in August 2024 to deposit all collected funds into a government account. He was also told that his proposal to renew the swachhata monitors scheme would not be considered until the money was returned and an affidavit was filed promising not to collect funds independently.
Officials said Arya neither refunded the money nor submitted the affidavit. Following this, the cleanliness initiative was discontinued, particularly after the Assembly elections and the return of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister heading the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition.
Speaking to the media, Anjali Arya, Rohit Arya’s wife, said her husband had been fighting for both the ₹2 crore he believed was sanctioned and for recognition of his work on the sanitation drive.
