Mumbai Muharram Poisoning Plot: How Fayyaz Premji Turned A Budget Hotel Room Into A Capsule Factory

Last Updated:June 29, 2026, 10:34 IST

39-year-old Fayyaz Premji had checked into a budget hotel in Dongri around a fortnight before the Muharram procession.

Fresh details have emerged in the investigation into the alleged mass poisoning plot during Mumbai’s Muharram procession, with police claiming the accused spent nearly two weeks preparing thousands of poison-filled capsules from a budget hotel in Dongri before allegedly attempting to distribute them among devotees.

According to a Times of India report, 39-year-old Fayyaz Premji checked into a budget hotel in Dongri around a fortnight before the Muharram procession. During his stay, he allegedly ordered 30,000 empty capsules and nearly 50 kilograms of zinc phosphide, a highly toxic rodenticide commonly used as rat poison, through an online platform. Police believe he assembled the capsules inside his hotel room over several days.

Read More: 50 Kg Poison And 30,000 Empty Capsules: Inside Fayyaz Premji’s Alleged Muharram Mass Killing Plot

Officials said they recovered 14,900 capsules containing zinc phosphide from the hotel during a search. Investigators now believe Premji intended to prepare 30,000 capsules in total and allegedly confessed that his plan was to kill around 15,000 people by distributing the capsules during the Muharram procession under the guise of pain-relief medicine. The remaining chemicals and other materials have also been seized for forensic examination.

The case came to light after several participants in the Muharram procession reportedly consumed capsules that were presented as painkillers to help those taking part in the rituals. Soon afterwards, some people complained of nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, prompting doctors to alert the police. Acting swiftly, officers traced the capsules back to Premji, whose arrest investigators say prevented a potentially far larger tragedy.

Read More: Muharram Procession Plot Foiled: Man Held With 14,900 Rat Poison-Filled Capsules In Mumbai

The investigation has since widened beyond the alleged poisoning attempt. Premji, who earlier ran a paint manufacturing business in Pune and shifted to Mumbai around two years ago, is also under scrutiny for his overseas connections. Police have recovered phone numbers linked to Iran and Iraq from his mobile phone and are examining whether they have any relevance to the case. While investigators have not established any foreign link so far, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Mumbai Police and other intelligence agencies are jointly probing all possible angles.

As part of the investigation, ATS and Mumbai Police teams visited the Pune residences of Premji’s family members. Officials said the family told investigators they had not been in contact with him for some time. Police found that his father lives separately, while his mother, brother and sister reside together at another address in Pune.

A preliminary inquiry has also pointed to possible personal factors behind the accused’s mental state. According to investigators, Premji is suspected to have slipped into depression after his wife left him around two years ago. Police, however, have clarified that they are still verifying whether his personal circumstances had any role in the alleged crime and are treating this as only one aspect of the investigation.

The accused has been booked under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including attempt to murder and administering poison. Investigators are now examining his financial transactions, digital devices, online purchases, travel history and communications to determine whether he acted alone or received assistance. Authorities have maintained that the probe remains at an early stage and that all possible motives, including any larger conspiracy, are being thoroughly investigated.

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