MUMBAI: The police have filed a 700-page chargesheet against Fayyaz Premji (39), a Pune resident, for allegedly attempting to poison 15,000 people in the city during a Moharrum procession in June.
The accused had ordered over 50 kg of the highly toxic zinc phosphide, often used as rat poison. The chargesheet said he assembled more than 15,000 poisonous capsules at the Dongri lodge where he stayed for two weeks prior to the crime, police said. He was allegedly angry with some people in his community.
The police, who had registered a case of attempted murder against Premji, filed the chargesheet before a Mazgaon court. “The chargesheet contains statements of more than 30 witnesses. Premji is currently lodged in the Arthur Road Jail,” said a source.
Premji, who holds a bachelor of business administration degree, allegedly ordered 30,000 capsules while staying in the lodge. The police had recovered 14,900 zinc phosphide capsules from him. Premji, who ran a paint manufacturing business in Pune, allegedly passed them off as painkillers and immunity boosters in a Moharrum procession.
A procession participant, Salman Sayeed (26), who had allegedly consumed one of the capsules, later complained of vomiting and discomfort. He was taken to a hospital, where he underwent treatment. During questioning, Premji claimed that the capsules were intended to relieve pain caused by self-flagellation during Moharram.
On June 26, a police team deployed for bandobast during the procession noticed the accused allegedly distributing capsules. Officers detained him before he could hand out more capsules.
“The seized capsules have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for chemical analysis to confirm their composition. Preliminary examination indicates that they contain zinc phosphide. The police are waiting for the FSL report,” said a source. Once they receive the report, the police will submit it to the court with a supplementary chargesheet.
The police had said that at least 10 persons consumed the pills but only two approached them after displaying symptoms of poisoning. The police suspect the number of people who took the pills could be higher and they sought timely treatment.
An officer had earlier said that Premji appeared to be “disturbed” and claimed that some people from the Khoja Shia community, to which he belonged, had “made his life miserable”.
