Pune: A team of Mumbai police and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Sunday evening conducted searches at the Lohegaon residence of arrested accused Fayyaz Premji and questioned his family members.Premji, who was caught handing out poison pills as painkillers at a Muharram procession in Mumbai’s Byculla last week, had been staying in Mumbai for the past two years, police said.“His family members told us that he was not in touch with them. We just noted down his past in Pune city,” said a senior ATS officer.Sambhaji Kadam, superintendent of police, Pune ATS, said, “We wanted to know why he decided to offer poisonous pills to people in the procession, how he grew up in Pune city and why he chose this path.”Another senior ATS officer told TOI, “Premji’s father stays separately, while his sister, brother and mother stay together in another house.”Police also said the team did not find any objectionable literature in the house.The police team had initially reached his house on Sunday morning, but found it locked. When they went again in the afternoon, they were able to search it and speak to family members.Jamat debars PremjiOn Sunday, the Khoja Shia Isna Ashari Jamat, Pune, strongly condemned Premji’s actions, saying it could have resulted in the death of many innocent men, women and children. The Jamat placed on record that Premji has been involved in conduct “detrimental to the interests of the community”.The Jamat said: “On several occasions, he had attempted to harass and defame the trustees and members of the community, and there have also been instances of physical confrontations involving community members…. Further, a few years ago, Premji made highly objectionable remarks against the Shia faith and members of the community and publicly declared on social media that he had renounced the Shia faith. In light of these events, trustees of KSI Jamat, Pune, unanimously decided to ‘debar’ him from the Jamat. The Jamat respectfully requests the authorities concerned to take strict action against him.”
