A 39-year-old Pune man, arrested for allegedly distributing poisonous capsules disguised as painkillers during the Muharram procession in Mumbai’s Byculla last week, has now told investigators that he wanted to “take revenge on the world” after his wife left him two years ago.
The accused has been identified as Fayyaz Premji, a resident of Pune. Police said several people taking part in the Muharram procession consumed the capsules after being told they were painkillers. Many later complained of nausea and uneasiness, while some also lost consciousness.
‘Revenge’ due to separation from wife
Premji admitted that he wanted to “take revenge on the world” after his wife separated from him two years ago and had planned to kill nearly 15,000 people, investigators said.
Police said the accused claimed he believed the world had turned against him following the collapse of his marriage, HT reported earlier.
According to investigators, Premji allegedly said he wanted to avenge this by causing a large number of deaths during the religious procession.
Deepak Sawant, Senior Police Inspector at Byculla police station, said investigators are still trying to determine whether Premji had been receiving psychiatric treatment. “After questioning him, it appears that he is mentally disturbed,” Sawant said.
An Iran link to the case?
Investigators also found that Premji’s mother and sister are living in Iran and that he had remained in regular contact with them.
“His mobile phone has been sent for forensic analysis to ascertain the nature of his contacts in Iran,” said another officer from Byculla police station.
Police sources told HT that Premji had previously worked in Iraq and Iran, where his sister is employed as a doctor.
Mumbai Muharram poison plot
The incident took place during the Muharram procession on Friday evening, which began at Noor Baug in Dongri and proceeded towards Rehmat Baug Kabrastan via Hancock Bridge in Maharashtra.
The complainant, Salman Sayyad, 26, a resident of Govandi who works at a bag manufacturing unit, told police that he was taking a break from ritual self-flagellation when a burqa-clad woman approached him and offered him capsules, saying they were painkillers.
Police said several devotees, including Sayyad, swallowed the capsules, while others accepted tablets that were allegedly given by Premji to distribute among participants.
Soon afterwards, several people began experiencing nausea, uneasiness and discomfort. Police personnel deployed along the procession briefly stopped Premji, recorded his personal details and allowed him to leave.
However, after the condition of those who had taken the capsules deteriorated overnight, police raided the guest house in Dongri where Premji had been staying. During the search, officers recovered around 14,900 capsules allegedly containing Zinc Phosphide, a highly toxic rodenticide that can cause fatal poisoning.
“Around 14,900 capsules containing Zinc Phosphide were recovered and he was arrested,” said a police officer familiar with the investigation, requesting anonymity.
According to medical experts, Zinc Phosphide reacts with stomach acid to release phosphine gas when it is swallowed or inhaled. The gas enters the bloodstream and can lead to severe oxygen deprivation at the cellular level, multiple organ failure, refractory shock and, in many cases, death.
Premji, who works with his father at their paint manufacturing unit in Pune, has been charged under Sections 109 (attempt to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 123 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc.) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
