- By Shubham Bajpai
- Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:26 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
After the shocking hostage situation ended in Mumbai with the gunning down of the accused Rohit Arya, the Maharashtra government has clarified that he was not connected to the state’s School Education Department.
In a detailed official statement, the government stated that Rohit Arya and his firm, Afsara Media Entertainment Networks, had no connection with the education department and that Arya’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) project 'Swachhta Monitor' was approved in 2021 with Rs 9 lakh funding. It was the only time the approval was granted, and its subsequent versions, 'Swachhta Monitor 2.0' and a Rs 6.14 crore proposal for 2024–25, were never sanctioned.
"The CSR project ‘Swachhta Monitor’ was approved only in 2021 with Rs 9 lakh funding, but its later versions, including ‘Swachhta Monitor 2.0’ and the Rs 6.14 crore 2024–25 proposal, were never sanctioned," the release stated.
The government note stated that the expenditure details and project parameters submitted by Arya for Swachta Monitor 2.0 were 'unclear and inflated,' and hence, the proposal was not sanctioned.
"The components such as advertising, management costs, technical support, and expenses for online distribution of the film Let’s Change were found to be vague and exaggerated. No clear details were provided about assessment metrics, operational guidelines, or compliance with minimum standards," the government note said.
The government claimed that despite no sanction being granted, Arya’s organisation continued its activities privately. "Despite this, the organisation continued its activities privately without approval or authorisation to collect funds from schools. The government has no financial or administrative responsibility for the project, and Arya’s death is unrelated to the department," the statement mentioned.
Later, in 2023-24, the education department sanctioned Rs 2 crore under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Shala, Sundar Shala (My School, Beautiful School) campaign to conduct the second phase of Swachhta Monitor. However, officials said the expenditure details and project parameters submitted by Arya were “unclear and inflated.”