Mumbai, May 7 (IANS) The mysterious death of four members of the same family in Mumbai’s Bhendi Bazaar area is suspected to have been caused by zinc phosphide or rat poison detected in toxicology tests conducted on their bodies and the watermelon they consumed, the police said on Thursday.

The toxicology and other scientific reports from the Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed the presence of zinc phosphide – a dark grey, crystalline compound used as a rodenticide against such small mammals as mice, rats, field mice and squirrels, the report said.

A police official said they will continue their investigation after studying the report in depth and consulting forensic experts.

Naseerin Dokadia (35), Ayesha Dokadia (16), Abdullah Dokadia (44), and Zainab Dokadia (12) were admitted to different hospitals on April 26 after their health suddenly deteriorated.

According to family members, all of them had complained of vomiting after consuming watermelon the previous night. Their condition reportedly worsened rapidly soon afterwards, leading to their deaths.

The toxicology and FSL report received by investigators on Thursday said: “Zinc phosphide found in viscera (liver, kidney and spleen samples), stomach contents, bile, and abdominal fat samples taken from all deceased. Watermelon sample is also positive for Zinc Phosphide”.

“All other food items are negative for Zinc phosphide,” said the toxicology report.

Earlier, a microbiology report from JJ Hospital found no suspicious elements or signs of bacterial infection in the bodies of the four family members who died under mysterious circumstances after consuming watermelon on the night of April 25, the police said.

As part of the investigation, Mumbai Police have recorded the statements of more than 10 individuals connected to the case. Statements of the four people who initially fell ill, along with the local doctor who treated them, have been documented.

In addition, police have questioned everyone from the watermelon vendor to those who were present at the family gathering, and all their statements have been officially recorded.

The JJ Marg Police are treating the incident as an unnatural death. According to police officials, the victim’s family had hosted a few relatives for a meal at their residence. The relatives left around 10-10.30 p.m., and later the host family consumed watermelon around 1 a.m. and fell ill.

–IANS

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