Pune man wanted to kill 15,000 with poison pills at Muharram rally in Mumbai, say cops

MUMBAI: The 39-year-old Pune man arrested for allegedly distributing pills filled with zinc phosphide to participants of a Muharram procession in Byculla last week arrived in the city about a fortnight ago and checked into a budget hotel in Dongri, said Byculla police. He then allegedly ordered 30,000 capsules and 50kg of zinc phosphide online.“He wanted to kill 15,000 people with the pills,” said an officer. Police seized 14,900 pills filled with the poison from his possession, which they believe were assembled in his hotel room.Zinc phosphide is often used as rat poison and can be highly toxic to humans. The suspect, Fayyaz Premji, allegedly passed them off as painkillers and immunity boosters to the processionists.Another officer said at least 10 persons consumed the pills but only two approached police after displaying symptoms of poisoning. Police suspect the number of people who took the pills could be higher but they sought timely treatment.Police are probing whether Premji, who ran a paint manufacturing business in Pune, was part of any international conspiracy as Iran- and Iraq-based numbers were found on his phone. The probe so far has shown that the numbers belong to his mother and his sister, who reportedly reside in those countries.Premji was on Sunday remanded in two days of police custody.Preliminary inquiry showed that he was suspected to 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, Govandi resident Salman Mohammad Islam Sayyad (26), told TOI that he had got a pill from a woman after seeing her give one to her son to relieve pain incurred during the procession rituals. “He started vomiting two hours later. His condition is stable and he is under treatment.”You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in MumbaiStay updated with the latest Mumbai news. Download the TOI App.