Mumbai Family Death Investigation: Zinc Phosphide Identified as Cause, Motive Unclear

Mumbai. Nearly three weeks have passed since four members of a family were found dead in Mumbai, India, but investigators have yet to reach any conclusion about what actually happened.

On April 25, four members of the Dokadia family, Abdullah, his wife Nasrin, and their two daughters Aisha and Zainab, were found dead in their home in Mumbai's Pydhonie area.

After the incident came to light, Indian media outlets named the incident 'watermelon death', based on the last meal they ate before their deaths. Many news headlines suggesting caution when consuming this fruit, which is very popular in India during the summer, gained continuous attention.

Reports claimed that the couple and their teenage daughters died due to consuming adulterated or poisonous fruit and eating it late at night. The price of watermelon in Mumbai's fruit markets dropped significantly due to a sharp decline in demand. Many speculations were also made about whether this death was an accident or planned.

Last week, Mumbai police stated that the element that took the lives of the Dokadia family was 'zinc phosphide', a highly toxic chemical used to kill rats. According to the police, the chemical was found in their organs and in the watermelon residue.

Dr. Vijay Thackeray, Director of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Mumbai, told BBC Marathi that zinc phosphide was found in the deceased's liver, kidneys, spleen, as well as stomach contents, bile, and abdominal fat. He confirmed that the chemical was also found in the watermelon samples.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Pravin Munde, involved in the investigation, also confirmed that the chemical was found in the watermelon samples collected during the investigation, but it was not found in any other food samples sent for testing.

The Dokadia family lived on the first floor of an old building in the Pydhonie area of South Mumbai. According to the preliminary statement of the police, on the night of the incident, the family had invited some relatives for a night dinner, where they ate meat and biryani.

After the guests left at 10:30 PM, the Dokadia family ate watermelon a few hours later, and shortly thereafter, they started falling ill. 'They all experienced vomiting and diarrhea, and although they were taken to JJ Hospital via a nearby hospital, unfortunately, all four died,' Deputy Commissioner Munde told the media. The police had seized all food items, including watermelon peels, on suspicion of adulteration.

Upon learning of the family's distress, neighbors, including Dr. Zaid Qureshi, who lived on the fourth floor of the same building, rushed to help. 'I saw the youngest of the four struggling to breathe and gave her CPR, but when her condition did not improve, she was taken to a nearby hospital where she died,' said Dr. Qureshi.

He stated that the remaining three were also transferred from a local hospital to JJ Hospital, but they also died. Their post-mortem reports are yet to come.

According to an Indian Express report, the building where the Dokadia family lived had a rat problem, and many families used rat repellent and killing chemicals or glue pads. According to Mumbai doctor Bhushan Rokade, zinc phosphide found in rat poison is an extremely toxic chemical compound.

'Upon ingestion or contact with moisture, it produces phosphine gas, which prevents the body's cells from using oxygen and severely affects multiple organs,' said Dr. Rokade. He clarified that it can be fatal even in small amounts.

Even with these facts emerging, many questions remain unanswered instead of being resolved. Sources in the Mumbai police told the BBC on Wednesday that the motive behind it or how the poison entered the watermelon is still unclear.

'We are still collecting evidence and looking at all angles for the motive,' said a senior police officer. He stated that murder, accident, or suicide could not be ruled out.

The officer expressed surprise at how the rat poison reached the watermelon. 'We have questioned 40-50 relatives, friends, family, neighbors, and Dokadia's colleagues and have formed multiple teams to solve the incident,' the officer said, 'We will continue to work until we get an answer.'