Mumbai:
A major tragedy was averted during the Muharram procession in Mumbai on Friday as police caught a man in time for allegedly distributing poisonous tablets to the public. Fayyaz Premji was detained in Byculla district after nearly a dozen people who took the pills fell ill.
The capsules allegedly contained zinc phosphide, a deadly chemical used in rat poison and other rodent control chemicals. Premji later admitted that he wanted to poison thousands of people that day, sources said.
Last night the court sent him to police custody for two days.
โToxic Capsules Distributed to the Crowdโ
Premji was caught distributing tablets among the Ashura procession participants near Rehmatabad Cemetery on Ray Road. Taking advantage of the crowd, he tried to pass them off as painkillers and immune stimulants.
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Sources suggest that at least 11 people fell ill after taking the pills. They were rushed to a nearby hospital. Now everything is out of danger. One of them, Salman Syed, reported stomach pain and vomiting after taking the pill.
The accused had a mixture of zinc phosphide in the capsules, confirmed Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jayant Meena. He did not have the necessary permission to distribute any tablets, the official added.
Acting quickly, police raided his cache of capsules and confiscated them. These included at least 14,900 tablets. According to preliminary estimates, by that time a significant number of tablets had already been distributed.
The accused also placed orders for 30,000 empty capsules and 50 kg of phosphorus, DCP Meena said.
How the tragedy was prevented
Thousands of lives were saved on Friday thanks to the vigilance of three female volunteers. One of them was the first to notice that the accused was distributing pills in an inappropriate and suspicious manner. Volunteers quickly stopped him and alerted the police. An announcement was also made over the loudspeaker asking people not to take the pill.
During the confrontation, the defendants allegedly told the volunteers that the capsules increased immunity. However, they went ahead and opened the tablet to examine it. After finding powder inside, they became suspicious and informed the police.
Premji was arrested on the spot and his stock of capsules was confiscated. The tablets will undergo forensic testing, police said.
โI wanted to kill 15,000 peopleโ
Premji later admitted that his act was aimed at killing thousands of people who took part in the procession. โI wanted to kill at least 15,000 people,โ he allegedly told police after he was caught.
The accused was found to be a BBA graduate. The history of his foreign travels also came to the fore after his arrest. The senior official said he had previously visited Iran and Iraq.
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A case was registered against him at the Byculla police station under Section 123 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (causing hurt by poison, etc. with intent to commit an offence).
Police are currently investigating any potential links to terrorism and the masterminds behind the plot.
How dangerous is zinc phosphide?
Zinc phosphide is a highly toxic chemical. When consumed, it reacts with stomach 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 that there is no specific antidote for this poisonous compound.
If zinc phosphide is ingested, the only option is immediate hospitalization, where the personโs life can be saved with symptomatic treatment and mechanical ventilation.
(Contributions from Ruttik Ganawar and Rizwan Sheikh)