A 39-year-old man from Pune, arrested for allegedly distributing capsules laced with zinc phosphide to participants in a Muharram procession in Byculla last week, had arrived in Mumbai around two weeks earlier and checked into a budget hotel in Dongri, according to Byculla police. Investigators said he subsequently ordered 30,000 empty capsules and 50 kg of zinc phosphide online, reported TOI.
“He wanted to kill 15,000 people with the pills,” said an officer. Police recovered 14,900 poison-filled capsules from the accused, Fayyaz Premji, which they believe were assembled inside his hotel room.
Zinc phosphide, commonly used as rat poison, is highly toxic to humans. Police alleged that Premji distributed the capsules by falsely claiming they were painkillers and immunity boosters to people participating in the procession.
Another officer said at least 10 people are believed to have consumed the capsules, although only two approached the police after developing symptoms of poisoning. Investigators suspect the actual number of people who ingested the pills may be higher, but said those affected sought timely medical treatment.
Police are also examining whether Premji had links to an international conspiracy after finding phone numbers from Iran and Iraq on his mobile phone. However, the investigation has so far revealed that the numbers belong to his mother and sister, who are believed to be residing in those countries.
Premji, who previously ran a paint manufacturing business in Pune, was remanded to two days of police custody on Sunday.
A preliminary inquiry suggests he may have slipped into depression after his wife left him two years ago. “A police team is in Pune to get details,” said the officer.
The wife of one of the two victims, Salman Mohammad Islam Sayyad (26) from Govandi, told TOI that her husband received a capsule from a woman after watching her give one to her son to ease pain caused during the Muharram rituals. “He started vomiting two hours later. His condition is stable and he is under treatment.”
(with TOI inputs)
