India News
When we think of terrorist attacks, we immediately picture horrific assaults: burning people alive like birds, placing powerful bombs in crowded areas, suitcase/box bombs, scooter bombs, car bombs, even blowing up airplanes. Terrorist attacks occur in many forms. Our country has already seen many such attacks.
In the Pahalgam attacks that led to Operation Sindoor, terrorists mercilessly killed innocent tourists. Recently, a powerful car explosion occurred near Red Fort in Delhi in which ten people died and 24 were seriously injured. This appears to be an act of terrorism. Police have now arrested four terrorists — notably, all of them are doctors. The very doctors who should save lives have allegedly become takers of lives.
Dr. Adeel Rather, Dr. Mujammil Shakeel Ganai, Dr. Ahmad Sayed Mohiyuddin, and a woman doctor have been arrested. All are Indian nationals. Among them, Mohiyuddin is from Hyderabad. Police found that he was allegedly preparing the poison “ricin” at his home. He is accused of planning to use this toxic substance to kill people.
According to the charges, he planned to send this deadly poison into street-food markets with the aim of causing mass fatalities. He reportedly selected three cities for his plan and carried out reconnaissance in crowded areas months in advance. In Delhi he chose Azadpur Mandi; in Ahmedabad, the Naroda fruit market; and in Lucknow, the RNN office area — all places that are typically crowded.
He is said to have researched how to make ricin on the internet and had stocked raw materials. But before anything could proceed, Gujarat ATS police arrested him. Once he was arrested, discussion began about what ricin actually is. Ricin is considered one of the most dangerous natural poisons in the world — reportedly about 6,000 times more toxic than cyanide.
To give a sense of its potency: even microscopic amounts of ricin can be lethal. Ricin is a protein-based toxin obtained from the seeds of the castor plant. The seeds contain about 1–5% ricin. These seeds are used for decoration or for extracting oil, but when the seed material is powdered and processed, pure ricin becomes an extremely toxic substance.
Ricin can enter the body via inhalation, ingestion, or injection. It inhibits protein synthesis inside cells. Once exposure occurs, effects typically begin within 4–6 hours: vomiting, severe diarrhea, fever, and organ failure may follow. Death can occur within 36 to 72 hours because there is no known antidote. Ricin was discovered in 1888 by Peter Hermann Stillmark. Germany attempted to weaponize it during World War I. In 1978, Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was murdered with a ricin injection.
Ricin can be produced at home by processing the seeds — grinding them and centrifuging to extract ricin powder. However, that process is extremely dangerous. According to experts, spreading ricin as a spray or powder could cause massive casualties; it is claimed that a single spoonful of ricin could kill thousands. Dr. Ahmad Mohiyuddin is alleged to have conspired to disseminate ricin in spray or powder form.
Advertisment
