AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A major tragedy was averted during a Muharram procession in Mumbai on Friday as the police picked up a man on time while he was allegedly distributing poisonous pills among the public. Fayyaz Premji was detained in the Byculla area after nearly a dozen people who had consumed the pills fell ill.
The capsules allegedly contained zinc phosphide, a deadly chemical compound used in rat poison and other rodent control chemicals. Premji later confessed that he wanted to poison thousands of people that day, sources said.
A court last night sent him to police custody for two days.
Toxic Capsules Given To Crowd'
Premji was caught distributing the pills among those participating in the Ashura procession near the Rehmatabad Cemetery at Reay Road. Taking advantage of the crowd, he tried to pass those off as painkillers and immunity boosters.
Sources suggest at least 11 people had fallen ill after consuming the pills. They were rushed to a nearby hospital. All are now out of danger. One of them, Salman Sayed, had reported stomach pain and vomiting after taking the pill.
The accused had mixed zinc phosphide in the capsules, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jayant Meena has confirmed. He did not have the necessary authorisation to distribute any pill, the official added.
Acting swiftly, the police swooped down on his capsule stock and seized it. These included at least 14,900 pills. A preliminary estimate suggests a considerable quantity of the pills had already been distributed by then.
The accused had also placed orders for 30,000 empty capsules and 50 kg of phosphorus, said DCP Meena.
How A Tragedy Was Averted
Thousands of lives were saved on Friday due to the alertness of three women volunteers. One of them first spotted the accused distributing the pills in an improper and suspicious manner. The volunteers quickly stopped him and alerted the police. An announcement was also made using a loudspeaker, asking people not to consume the pill.
When confronted, the accused allegedly told the volunteers that the capsules were immunity boosters. However, they went ahead and cracked open a pill to inspect it. Finding a powder inside, they became suspicious and informed the police.
Premji was detained on the spot, and his capsule stock was seized. The pills will undergo forensic analysis, police said.
Wanted To Kill 15,000 People
Premji later confessed that his act was aimed at killing thousands of people taking part in the procession. "I wanted to kill at least 15,000 people," he allegedly told the police after being caught.
The accused has been identified as a BBA graduate. His foreign travel history has also come to the fore after his detention. A senior official said he had previously been to Iran and Iraq.
A case has been registered against him at the Byculla police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 123 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc, with intent to commit an offence).
The police are now probing any potential terror link and the masterminds behind the conspiracy.
How Dangerous Is Zinc Phosphide?
Zinc Phosphide is a highly toxic chemical substance. If consumed, it reacts with gastric acid to produce phosphine gas. This gas is extremely lethal to the human body, directly affecting the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and brain. The worst part is there is no specific antidote for this poisonous compound.
In cases of zinc phosphide ingestion, the only recourse is immediate hospitalisation, where the person's life could be saved through symptom-based treatment and ventilator support.
Your Comment