Mumbai, May 2 (IANS) No adulteration was found in the food samples of four members of a family who passed away in Mumbai’s Pydhonie area after eating watermelon and biryani, officials said on Saturday.

Four members of a family, a 40-year-old husband, his 35-year-old wife, and their two daughters aged 16 and 13, died due to suspected food poisoning in Pydhonie on April 26.

The Mumbai Police are awaiting the toxicology report regarding the case.

In this matter, preliminary investigations by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have found no harmful substances in the food consumed, officials said.

The FDA found no evidence of adulteration in the 11 food samples collected from the family’s residence in Pydhonie. These samples included biryani, watermelon, water stored in earthen pots and from the refrigerator, raw and cooked rice, raw and cooked chicken, dates, and spices.

Meanwhile, according to the police, the post-mortem report indicated the presence of morphine (a painkiller). It revealed an abnormal green discolouration in certain body tissues — a phenomenon potentially caused by a toxic substance. However, the officials are currently awaiting the toxicology report to confirm these findings.

This case came to light on April 26, when 40-year-old Abdullah Dokadia was admitted to the hospital. He informed the doctors that he and his family members — his wife Nasreen (35) and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zainab (13) — had complained of a sudden deterioration in their health after consuming watermelon. Subsequently, all four individuals passed away.

The police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and have initiated an investigation into the matter.

An officer associated with the investigation stated, “We are examining the case from all angles. However, we have not yet reached a definitive conclusion and are awaiting detailed medical reports from the Kalina Forensic Laboratory, the FDA, and JJ Hospital.”

The toxicology report will clarify whether or not any form of poison was consumed in this case, and if so, determine the timeline of its ingestion, officials said.

According to the police, no suspicious financial transactions have surfaced in connection with this case thus far. Statements provided by family members describe the family as “happy”, and no information regarding any disputes or underlying concerns has come to light.

Call Detail Records (CDRs), digital communications, and other electronic data are currently being scrutinised; however, no concrete leads have been uncovered as of yet, police said.

Meanwhile, an official from the Kalina Forensic Laboratory has confirmed that preliminary examinations of the viscera samples revealed the presence of certain unidentified foreign particles.

The official stated that the initial report indicates the presence of “foreign substances within the samples”.

“However, it remains unclear at this stage whether these substances are toxic, medicinal, or of some other nature. A detailed investigation is currently underway,” the official added.

–IANS

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