MUMBAI, June 28 -- The Byculla police have arrested a 39-year-old man for allegedly distributing tablets containing Zinc Phosphide, a highly toxic compound commonly used as rodenticide, during the Muharram procession at Byculla on Friday. Several participants at the procession who consumed the tablets the accused claimed were pain killers reported feeling uneasy and nauseous while some also fell unconscious, police said. According to the police, on Friday evening, the Muharram procession started from Noor Baug, Dongri and made its way towards Rehmat Baug Kabrastan. The complainant, Salman Sayyad, 26 - who works at a bag manufacturing unit - was part of the procession, and was taking a break from ritual self-flagellation when a burqa clad woman approached him with some capsules, claiming they were pain killers, he told the police. During the Muharram procession, several things such as food, medicines, juice and water are distributed free of cost among participants. Like Sayyad, several others consumed tablets handed to them by the woman and others, including Pune resident Fayyaz Premji, 39, who allegedly gave the tablets to procession participants for distribution. When those who consumed the tablets raised an alarm as they were feeling uneasy and nauseous, police personnel accompanying the procession detained Premji briefly and noted down his name, address and other details. "The unease among those who consumed the tablets grew as the hours progressed, and by 4-5am (on Saturday), we started getting reports of people fainting. So we visited the guest house where Premji was staying, recovered around 14,900 capsules filled with Zinc Phosphide - a highly toxic, acute rodenticide, and arrested him," a police officer said. When ingested or inhaled, Zinc Phosphide reacts with stomach acids to release phosphine gas, which enters the bloodstream and causes systemic cellular anoxia, multi-organ failure, refractory shock, and even death. "Premji had ordered online around 50 kg Zinc Phosphide, and 30,000 empty capsules. He had filled each capsule with 1 gram Zinc Phosphide, staying in the guest house for over 15 days. These tablets were then distributed during the procession," the officer said. Premji had earlier worked in Iraq and Iran, where his sister is a doctor, police sources said. After he was arrested by the Byculla police, teams from the Intelligence Bureau, the Anti-Terrrorism Squad (ATS) and Mumbai police crime branch interrogated him. He was evasive during interrogation....